Rockets 103, Pelicans 100
James Harden scored 26 points and hit the go-ahead jumper with 28 seconds left as visiting Houston handed New Orleans its seventh straight setback.
Terrence Jones added a career-high 25 points, eight rebounds and six blocks while Chandler Parsons collected 17 points and eight boards and split a pair of free throws with 11.2 seconds left to provide the winning margin. Dwight Howard recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds and Jeremy Lin scored 13 as the Rockets wrapped up a 3-1 road trip.
Eric Gordon scored a season-high 35 points and Anthony Davis added 24 as New Orleans remained winless in seven games since Ryan Anderson went down with a neck injury. Jason Smith and Brian Roberts each scored 10 points but Darius Miller went 1-for-6 from the field and missed the tying 3-point attempt in the final seconds.
Houston went on a 17-4 run in the third to knot it at 68 but the Pelicans battled back for a seven-point lead heading into the final stanza. Harden scored six points during an 8-0 burst to give Houston a 100-99 advantage with 57 seconds left before Davis split a pair of free throws to tie it, leading to Harden‘s go-ahead bucket.
Gordon scored 14 points in the first quarter to give New Orleans a 30-19 lead at the end of the frame that would grow as large as 17 points midway through the second. Gordon added another eight points in the final 4:09 of the half to hold off a Rockets rally and send the Pelicans into the break up 56-45.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Pelicans G Tyreke Evans (ankle) missed his third straight game. … Rockets PG Aaron Brooks sat out with a knee injury and seldom-used rookie Isaiah Canaan went scoreless in nine minutes as his replacement, backing up Lin. … Gordon’s 35 points were his most in any game since joining the New Orleans franchise prior to the 2011-12 season.