Mar 6, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) and Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) fight for position on a free throw during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
The New Orleans Pelicans returned home after a four-game road trip but were defeated by the Houston Rockets 109-97 on Thursday night. New Orleans started the game strong, scoring 34 points in the first quarter, but offensive struggles in the second and third quarters allowed Houston to build a double-digit lead.
The Pelicans scored just 38 points combined in the second half, shooting below 40% for the game. Pelicans star Zion Williamson started the game slow after not getting the benefit of the whistle for much of the game. Williamson scored just 6 points in the first half but finished the game with a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Houston Rockets center Alpereen Sengun scored a team-high 22 points on the night, helping the Rockets score 62 points in the paint overall. Houston's defense stiffened on the Pelicans ball movement, holding the Pelicans to just 17 assists on the night. Sengun spoke to reporters after the game about the plan to slow down Williamson and the rest of the Pelicans.
"They have Zion, so that was the gameplan, we had to help and push in transition to make him tired, and that's what we did." Houston won the fast-break battle 23-12 on Thursday.
> Efficient night for The Wizard in New Orleans 👏
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> 📊 22 PTS | 11-14 FG | 6 REB | 8 AST | 3 STL [pic.twitter.com/CTSFHwPFkM](https://t.co/CTSFHwPFkM)