Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Tonight, the Houston Rockets return to the scene of their second-biggest collapse of the season. Until their demoralizing loss in Minnesota, I figured the New Orleans game in December would stand alone. Of course, this team has surprised me over and over again with ways to frustrate us.

I was at the Smoothie King Center on December 18. I was visiting my brother and the Rockets just so happened to be in town. Houston led by 22 at halftime and 25 early in the second half. The Rockets even held a 16-point lead heading into the final frame. However, turnovers and poor defensive effort would rear their ugly heads. New Orleans scored 38 points in the third quarter and 36 more in the fourth. Houston missed nine free throws, and all of them came from players 6-10 and taller. More than one miss was an airball. The New Orleans crowd, which had had nothing to cheer about for 30 minutes, roared to life for the final 18 minutes of regulation and all of overtime.

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I could tell you about how Saddiq Bey had the kind of game that can get players paid a lot of money in free agency. Or how Derik Queen talked trash all night and backed it up. I could talk about how Kevin Durant didn’t miss a shot in the first quarter and dominated until New Orleans sent a second defender at him, which led to six turnovers. Or how Amen Thompson went 11-14 and made some clutch plays to give the Rockets a fighting chance in the fourth.

None of it matters, though. It was the beginning of a disturbing trend for the Rockets that still hasn’t resolved. Houston still struggles defensively. They still turn the ball over a ton. They have found a few answers for the double team, but it’s still mostly a winning strategy against Durant, who is on pace to turn the ball over more times than in any season since turning 25. They still miss free throws. And they continue to struggle in fourth quarters despite bringing in one of the best closers in NBA history.

The other two matchups against New Orleans have been tight affairs, too. In January, the Rockets rode a monster night from Jabari Smith Jr. to win a game where they never really put the…

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Publish date : 2026-03-29 04:00:00

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