Pelicans (28-41), Rockets (47-22)
New Orleans played without one of its two All-Star big men Friday and the other didn’t reach double-digit scoring until late in the third quarter. No matter, because Solomon Hill delivered a career night, the point-guard combo of Jrue Holiday and Tim Frazier flourished, and the Pelicans played an exceptionally intense game, from start to finish. The result was a victory over a Houston team that has been one of the NBA’s biggest success stories in 2016-17.
DeMarcus Cousins didn’t play for the Pelicans due to knee and ribs injuries, but New Orleans picked up the slack nearly across the board, with five different players tallying double-digit points.