HOUSTON – A look at three key numbers related to Sunday’s game at the Toyota Center between New Orleans and Houston (1 p.m. Central, ABC, ESPN New Orleans 100.3 FM):
12-6, 9-9: Won-loss records for New Orleans and Houston, respectively, since Christmas. In hindsight, the Dec. 25 holiday was a sign of things to come over the next six weeks for both teams, because since New Orleans posted an upset on Denver’s home floor, the Pelicans have been one of the Western Conference’s top squads. Meanwhile, Houston was upset on Christmas by struggling Golden State, beginning an up-and-down stretch for the Rockets, who were 21-9 prior to that.