The Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans met just under two weeks ago in this very same arena — the Smoothie King Center — to play this very same game — basketball.
In that game on Jan. 30, the Rockets won decisively in a 126-112 victory and rolled on to their fifth-straight win. In today’s game on Feb. 9, both teams find themselves in similar standings (Rockets are 11-12, Pelicans are 10-2), but in different situations with Houston on a two-game losing streak and New Orleans on a three-game winning streak.
Also unlike that game, the Rockets will be playing without Christian Wood, who led all scorers in their previous matchup with 27 points and nine rebounds, and Victor Oladipo who had 20 points, six assists, and seven rebounds.