Third-year guard Kevin Porter Jr. returned to the strong form that he had displayed before recent health issues, but it wasn’t enough for the Houston Rockets in Tuesday’s 110-97 loss (box score) at New Orleans.
The resurgent Pelicans (22-32) won their fourth straight game, including for a second time in three days versus the young and rebuilding Rockets (15-39). Houston remains in last place in the Western Conference, while New Orleans has moved up to the No. 10 spot — which would be good for the final spot in the West’s play-in tournament for the playoffs.
Yet again, the story for the Pelicans was former All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, who scored a team-high 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting (64.7%) while also blocking three shots. In three games versus Houston this season, Ingram has scored a combined 99 points.
