The good news for the New Orleans Pelicans is they don’t have to see the Houston Rockets again this season.
For the fourth time this season, the Pelicans ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, losing 146-117 to the Rockets on Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston.
It was the Pelicans' 12th loss by 20 or more points this season. The 146 points are the most points the Pels have allowed all season, eclipsing the 144 by the Denver Nuggets in February.
Two nights earlier, the Pelicans collapsed in the third quarter in a loss to the Rockets in the Smoothie King Center. This time, it was the first half that did the Pelicans in.
Pelicans coach Willie Green hoped that playing the same team again in a 48-hour span would benefit his team.
“It’s a good test when you play the same team twice,” Green said at Friday’s practice. “We’ll have to make some adjustments. We’ll have to try to come out and continue to have a good first half.”
They didn’t.
The Pelicans trailed 39-28 at the end of the first quarter and 74-58 at halftime. The 74 points allowed were just shy of the season-high 77 first-half points given up in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder back in early December.
The deficit was as many as 20 in the first half when the Pelicans got outscored 42-30 in the paint. The Rockets shot 62% from the floor in the first half.
Not even a brilliant first half off the bench from Jose Alvarado was enough to get the Pelicans all the way out of the early hole.
Alvarado, who was listed as questionable, didn’t show any signs of the hip soreness that had his availability in question. He scored 15 points to go with six assists and four rebounds in the first two quarters. It didn't carry over to the second half, though. He finished with 17 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
The Pelicans never led and trailed by as many as 37. The Pels (17-47) lost all four games to the Rockets (39-25) by double digits.
Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 20 points and CJ McCollum scored 17.
Trey Murphy finished with 13 points but saw his streak of 58 consecutive games with a 3-pointer come to an end.
The Pelicans return home to host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. The Pels are looking for their first win of the season against the Grizzlies, who won the three previous meetings.