The Pelicans had hung around as long as James Harden could stand.
They had hit the Rockets with all kinds of DeMarcus Cousins and even more of Anthony Davis, along with a few Cousins elbows that had him debating his play with fans as Ryan Anderson headed to the locker room early.
That kept the Pelicans to within two with less than two minutes left. From there, Harden slammed the door. He drew a three-shot for for the third time in the game, then came over to double-team Cousins, forcing a turnover and an opening the Rockets needed.