Rockets (41-18), Pelicans (23-35)
Based on a high-volume crowd and intensity on the court, the first few minutes of Thursday’s Southwest Division matchup felt like a playoff game, something the Pelicans would love to experience for real in a couple months. Not long after, however, the visiting Rockets began playing like a team that is already a lock to be there when the postseason begins.
Houston went on an extended 40-16 run that bridged the halves to go up by 30 points in the third quarter, ruining the Pelicans debuts of DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi. The Rockets relied on their bench firepower and three-point gunning to turn a two-point game into a 90-60 edge.
The night got worse for the home team after the final buzzer, when it was learned that Casspi broke his right thumb while making contact with Houston’s Eric Gordon, attempting to make a steal. Casspi will be out 4-6 weeks.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Houston doubled a 16-point halftime edge by outscoring New Orleans 24-8 to open the third quarter. The Rockets feasted on alley oop dunks and lethal perimeter shooting, eventually taking their biggest lead of 35.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
It was a tough night and then some from a team standpoint, but Cousins demonstrated his wide-ranging skill set to his new fan base, filling the box score in a variety of categories. The three-time All-Star finished with 27 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, five steals and four blocks, a tremendous night from a statistical standpoint. Cousins shot 11/19 from the field and 4/5 on free throws, while fellow All-Star Anthony Davis netted 29 points on 8/21 shooting.
PELICANS UNSUNG CONTRIBUTOR
Earlier Thursday, Alvin Gentry pointed out that the Pelicans did not view Casspi as merely a “throw-in” of the multi-player deal with the Kings. Like his multi-year teammate Cousins, Casspi played well overall in his initial New Orleans game, totaling 12 points, including 2/4 three-point shooting. It was the native of Israel’s first game since mid-January, after sustaining a calf strain.
QUOTES TO NOTE
“It was good to just get back to basketball, finally. I know there was a lot of anticipation coming up to this for the city, for the fans and for myself as well.” – Cousins on getting back on the floor after All-Star and the trade to New Orleans
“Nobody expected us to win – I didn’t – the championship in our first game. We see the potential and what we need to work on. Get a good practice in tomorrow and try to learn from these mistakes.” – Cousins on being patient with the new mix of players
“I thought the turnovers early on kind of changed the whole game. We turned the ball over way too many times and gave up points. This is not a team that you can do that against.” – Gentry on a big factor that helped ignite Houston’s big offensive night
BY THE NUMBERS
20: New Orleans turnovers, leading to 25 Houston points. Twelve of those miscues happened in the first half.
112: Houston three-point attempts during the two games it has played vs. New Orleans this season. The Rockets set NBA records in December with 24 makes and 61 attempts.
6/22: Pelicans shooting from starters other than Cousins and Davis, including 1/12 on three-pointers.