The Pelicans were in good form going into the first match against Houston but were unable to continue the momentum. Willie Green’s men, who had won four of six before the Rockets came visiting, have now lost three of their last four. They are on a two-game skid, leaving them with a weakened 17-46 record.
Only one other team in the West has compiled a worse record than the Pels. With less than 20 games left to play, the Pelicans cannot make the postseason. The remaining games now will be used to help them not finish with the worst record. Herb Jones, Brandon Boston and Dejounte Murray missed the last game and are likely to be absent once again.
The second game of the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans' NBA back-to-back is being played at home. In the Western Conference, they are now ranked fifth, while the Pelicans are ranked fourteenth.
In the first of these back-to-back games, the Rockets prevailed 109-97 on the road. Ime Udoka's team ended a three-match losing streak with that.
With a 38–25 record, Houston has defeated the Pels in each of their three encounters this season.
Due to an ankle injury, Fred VanVleet has missed the past three games and is anticipated to miss this one as well.
The Pelicans come into this affair after a 12-point loss against the Rockets, despite a 26-point performance by Trey Murphy III. It was their third loss in four games, and they are back to their losing ways after a decent 4-1 period. Zion Williamson has been brilliant and has looked fitter than ever, while Murphy III has become an incredible shooter. However, overall, the franchise needs to mull over whether they want to build around Williamson or take another painful rebuild.
Despite Trey Murphy III scoring 26 points, the Pelicans enter this game coming off a 12-point defeat to the Rockets. After a respectable 4-1 run, they are back to their losing ways after suffering their third defeat in four games. Murphy III has developed into a fantastic shooter, while Zion Williamson has been outstanding and is fitter than ever. All things considered, though, the team must decide if they want to rebuild painfully or build around Williamson.
The Pelicans are on a two-game losing slide going into Houston, having lost 109-97 at home against the same Rockets on Thursday. Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 26 points. Despite only making five of fifteen shots from the field, Zion Williamson contributed a double-double of ten rebounds and twenty points. The Pelicans only made 37% of their shots from the field, including 35% of their 3-point attempts. By fighting the Rockets to a rebounding tie at 41 apiece, they managed to hold their own against the league's best rebounding club. With only 15 points in the third quarter, the Pelicans' dismal shooting performance put them out of the game.
