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NBA: Pelicans earn much-needed win over Rockets


Rocket CJ McCollum Pelicans NBA

CJ McCollum #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans controls the ball around Kevin Porter Jr. #3 of the Houston Rockets during the first half at Toyota Center on March 19, 2023 in Houston, Texas. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP

CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram combined to 52 points and the New Orleans Pelicans visitors clinched a much-needed 117-107 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

McCollum finished with 26 points, six rebounds and five assists while making 4 out of 7 3-pointers. Ingram scored 26 points with the highest 9 assists as a teammate as the Pelicans (34-37) overcame 3 losses in 4 games to continue chasing a spot in the play-in tournament in the West. .

All five starts scored doubles for the Pelicans. Jonas Valanciunas scored 21 points and 12 rebounds while Trey Murphy III scored 14 points and Herb Jones scored 13.

After the Rockets (18-53) halved their 20-point deficit at the end of the third quarter, McCollum hit a 3 and a steering drive gave the Pelicans a 92-78 lead in the fourth inning.

The Rockets’ starting backstroke includes Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. combined for 65 points from 18/37 shots from the floor and 22/22 shots from the free-throw line.

Green had 40 points, his fourth 40 points this season, but the Rockets didn’t have a third double-digit player until Tari Eason sunk two free throws with 8:08 left, and Houston had two free-throws left. had a three-game winning streak.

Similar to the start of their 114-112 loss to the Rockets on Friday, the Pelicans had a rough start, but this time they made their hot shot through the opening period. New Orleans scored 57.7% overall in the first quarter, drilling 7 out of 10 3-pointers while leading 38-28 in the second inning.

The Pelicans were so effective in the first half that they only scored one point from a point on the floor not in the paint or from behind the arc, with Murphy completing the three-pointer with a free throw in the 6th minute. :32 marked the extension of New Orleans’ lead to 19-14.

The second phase brings more of the same for the Pelicans. McCollum made it 48-32, matching the biggest lead from Friday, through a 3-pointer with 7:49 remaining in the last half when the Pelicans took a 20-goal lead. the first point when Jones finished the second half three points :04 points.

Meanwhile, the Rockets only shot 6/19 in the second quarter, including 0 to 8 from worms. New Orleans had a 64-44 lead on pause thanks to the power of 16 quick breaks and equalization, with McCollum and Murphy combining for 27 on 10 to 18 while Ingram, Jones and Valanciunas each who gets 9 points.

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