Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Ingram posted double-doubles as the visiting New Orleans Pelicans snapped a three-game losing skid with a 110-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Valanciunas paired 25 points with 14 rebounds while Ingram added 24 points and 10 boards plus two blocks. CJ McCollum tallied 19 points as New Orleans won without Zion Williamson (foot) and Herb Jones (adductor).
Jalen Green scored a game-high 31 points while rookie Cam Whitmore tallied 17 off the bench for Houston, which shot 29.5 percent (13 of 44) on 3-pointers and was outrebounded 56-29.
Having fended off an 8-2 Rockets run that shaved what was a 12-point lead to 82-79 late in the third quarter, the Pelicans landed a knockout blow at the start of the fourth, opening that period with a 15-0 blitz.
While Houston started that frame with nine consecutive missed shots, Valanciunas fed Jose Alvarado for a 3-pointer that beat the shot clock before adding back-to-back baskets in addition to two free throws.
Ingram made a pull-up jumper as the Pelicans extended to a 20-point lead before Fred VanVleet (16 game points) ended the scoring drought for the Rockets with a jumper at the 6:07 mark.
New Orleans was 6 of 12 from behind the arc in the first quarter, and that enabled the Pelicans to establish the working margin that served them well throughout the remainder of the contest.
The Pelicans started 6 of 10 on 3s, with rookie Jordan Hawkins’ 3 at the 1:09 mark of the first lifting New Orleans to a 33-22 lead. McCollum started 3 of 4 from deep and three other Pelicans — Dyson Daniels, Trey Murphy III and Hawkins — contributed to the hot start from the perimeter.
New Orleans kept the Rockets at arm’s length throughout the second, first with Valanciunas having his way with Alperen Sengun (10 points, 10 rebounds) in the post and later with McCollum consistently finding his way into the lane.
After Green fed Dillon Brooks for a layup with 88 seconds left in the half and followed that with a 3-pointer that sliced the deficit to 57-52, McCollum produced a floater and a pair of free throws that yielded a 61-54 halftime lead.
McCollum led four Pelicans in double digits by the break with 13 points, offsetting Green and his 20-point half.
–Field Level Media
