Rockets at Pelicans
It is sinking in to DeMarcus Cousins that he is no longer a member of the Sacramento Kings and the All-Star center makes his New Orleans debut when the Pelicans host the Houston Rockets on Thursday. Cousins was traded to New Orleans for a package that included guards Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans and a first-round draft pick and now will be on the same frontline as All-Star Game MVP Anthony Davis.
Sacramento promised Cousins he wouldn't be traded, so the trade, which began leaking out during the All-Star Game, initially disappointed Cousins. "It was very unexpected. I sat in the airport for a minute and my mind was racing," Cousins told reporters on Wednesday. "I didn't know what to think. I've tried to understand the situation. Basically what I came to is this is a business. I'm not sour, I'm not mad, I don't have any ill feelings. This is a business. These types of things happen. I'm comfortable with it." The Pelicans resume play 2 1/2 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the final Western Conference playoff spot, while Houston stands a solid third -- four games behind the second-place San Antonio Spurs and four games ahead of the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers. The Rockets made a move of their own by acquiring sharpshooting guard Lou Williams from the Los Angeles Lakers.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (40-18): Houston ranks second in scoring at an average of 114.4 points and 24th in scoring defense at 108 per game, but that didn't stop the club from trading defensive-minded swingman Corey Brewer and a first-round draft pick for Williams. The Rockets were looking to pump up their bench and found the high-scoring Williams -- averaging a career-best 18.6 points -- to be a good backcourt fit with James Harden, Eric Gordon and Patrick Beverley. Williams isn't expected to pass his physical in time to play against the Pelicans.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (23-34): Cousins ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring (27.8) and Davis ranks fifth (27.7), and the two former Kentucky stars are eager to play with one another. "We have to try to get it to work," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. "One thing about it, is they're friends. They've been friends a long time. That makes the adjustment a little bit easier. I think both of them are very giving. I don't think there's going to be any head-bumping as far as whose team this team is or any of those situations like that." Gentry will try to reign in Cousins' temper -- he has drawn 17 technical fouls and his next one will earn him his second one-game suspension of the season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Rockets won six of the past seven meetings, including a 122-100 victory on Dec. 16, when they made an NBA record 24 3-pointers (since tied by Denver) and attempted a record 61 3-pointers.
2. Beverley has been mentioned in trade talks with one deal being discussed with the Cleveland Cavaliers for G Iman Shumpert.
3. New Orleans PG Jrue Holiday is averaging 21.8 points over the past 13 games and has scored in double digits in 16 straight outings.