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.
“I do think we played a much better second half than we played in the first half,” head coach Stephen Silas said of Houston’s showing. “Even though the ball didn’t go in the hoop (on offense), our defense was so much better. We were much more active defensively. We held them to 47 points in the second half, which was great for our group.”
The Rockets were able to stay in relative striking distance Tuesday thanks largely to Porter, who had a team-high 27 points and 5 assists while connecting on 7-of-12 from 3-point range (58.3%). Porter’s 27 points were a personal season-high, as were his seven makes on 3-pointers.
Porter had played extremely well for several weeks in January and early February, but his playing time and production was limited over the last two games after a bout with chest congestion.
Kevin Porter Jr. tonight:
27 points (season-high)
3 rebounds
5 assists
1 steal9/16 FG
7/12 3FG (season-high)
2/3 FT— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) February 9, 2022
Ultimately, Houston did not have enough offense outside of Porter. Big man Christian Wood had 19 points and 9 rebounds, but he shot just 5-of-15 from the field (33.3%). Rookie guard Jalen Green added 12 points and 4 assists, but he shot only 2-of-7 on 3-pointers (28.6%). Veteran Eric Gordon remained sidelined by left heel soreness (plantar fasciitis).
The Rockets will return to action Thursday night at home versus Toronto (29-23) in a game that tips off only hours after the NBA’s trade deadline for the 2021-22 season. What Houston’s roster will look like at that time remains to be seen. Until then, scroll on for highlights and postgame reaction from Tuesday following a rough night in New Orleans.
