Pelicans 111, Rockets 83
Ryan Anderson scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting off the bench as New Orleans crushed visiting Houston.
Tyreke Evans added 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting as the Pelicans pulled back over .500 at 17-16. Omer Asik hauled in 11 rebounds to go with nine points against his former team and Dante Cunningham scored 13 off the bench for New Orleans.
James Harden, who came in averaging 34.6 points over the previous five contests, was held to 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting as the Rockets fell for the third time in four games. Dwight Howard and Corey Brewer each scored 12 points to lead Houston.
Evans and Anderson scored five points apiece during a 10-4 run that closed the first quarter and left the Pelicans in front 29-20. Anderson added seven more points in the first two minutes of the second quarter as the advantage swelled to 38-22, and New Orleans took a 59-42 cushion into the break.
Luke Babbitt’s 3-pointer capped a 14-4 run beginning the second half that pushed the lead to 27 points, and Anderson’s 3-pointer made it 87-58 as the Pelicans continued to pull away. The Rockets fell behind by 31 points early in the fourth as both teams emptied the benches.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Houston F Josh Smith scored all eight of his points in the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand and has failed to score in double figures in four straight games since moving into the starting lineup. … The Rockets suffered their largest margin of defeat of the season. … The Pelicans shot 53 percent from the field, including 7-of-15 from 3-point range.