Former All-Star Brandon Ingram was dominant Sunday with a game-high 33 points and 12 assists, leading to a 120-107 road victory (box score) for New Orleans at Toyota Center. With the win, the Pelicans (21-32) moved into possession of the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference, which is good for the final spot in the postseason play-in tournament.
The young and rebuilding Rockets (15-38), who remain last in the West, were led by 22 points (53.3% FG) and 8 rebounds from Christian Wood. Rookie guard Jalen Green scored an efficient 18 points for Houston on 50% shooting, while Garrison Mathews connected on 5-of-9 from 3-point range (55.6%) and scored 18 points off the bench.
The Rockets led by 11 early in the third quarter, but the Pelicans then outscored Houston by a commanding 38-17 margin over the remaining 10-plus minutes of the frame to take firm command.
Led by Kevin Porter Jr.’s 8 assists, Houston had 28 dimes as a team after recording only 15 in Friday’s blowout loss at San Antonio. But the improved ball movement and shooting couldn’t offset Ingram’s brilliance.
“He made some tough shots, obviously,” Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said of Ingram in postgame comments. “The ones he got in transition and the ones he got at the rim, those are the ones we don’t want him to get. Our help was on time. He was making the right plays.”
Veteran Rockets guard Eric Gordon, who is seen as a potential candidate to be moved before Thursday’s trade deadline for the 2021-22 NBA season, was a late scratch for Sunday’s game due to left heel soreness.
See below for highlights and postgame reaction from Sunday at Toyota Center. The Rockets and Pelicans will do battle again on Tuesday night in New Orleans for the second game of a home-and-home series.
