National Basketball Association
Houston 122, New Orleans 100
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, December 16, 2016
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Officials:
#32 Marat Kogut, #42 Eric Lewis, #4 Sean Wright
Attendance:
16728
By The Sports Xchange
HOUSTON -- On Wednesday, Houston forward Sam Dekker expressed a casual confidence in the possibility that the Rockets could again threaten the NBA record for 3-pointers after they drilled 22 in a win over the Sacramento Kings.
That the Rockets made his prediction a reality so quickly isn't much of a shock.
James Harden posted his second consecutive triple-double and the Rockets delivered another record-setting performance from the perimeter in their 122-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night at Toyota Center.
The Rockets (20-7) stretched their winning streak to nine games by setting NBA records for 3-pointers made (24) and attempted (61). One game after just missing the mark of 23, which they shared with the Golden State Warriors, the Rockets set a new standard when forward Ryan Anderson sank a 3-pointer with 32.3 seconds remaining.
Houston set the record for 3-pointers attempted (50) in Sacramento on Nov. 25.
"We can still be better," Rockets reserve guard Eric Gordon said. "I wouldn't doubt that before the season is over we'll break that record (for 3-pointers made) again.
"I think it'll happen again for sure. A lot of teams like to load up trying to not let us get layups and it forces us to shoot 3s. It's like, 'Why not?' I think we'll have that chance again."
Harden finished with 29 points (on 6-of-12 3-point shooting), 11 rebounds and 13 assists to set a franchise mark with his 15th career triple-double.
Gordon poured in a season-high 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field in 27 minutes off the bench, including 7 of 12 3-pointers. Trevor Ariza hit five treys and totaled with 20 points.
Forward Anthony Davis paced the Pelicans (9-19) with 19 points despite playing just 22 minutes. Davis departed in the third quarter with a left lower-leg contusion.
Former Rockets forward Terrence Jones had 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench for New Orleans, which has dropped six of seven meetings against Houston.
"He just got kicked, and the game wasn't in a position where I thought that it was worth the risk to put him back out there," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said of Davis. "And we just weren't going to do it."
Davis scored 12 of the Pelicans' first 21 points, his 19-footer with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter cutting the deficit to 22-21. But the Rockets bridged the first and second quarters with an 11-0 run that featured three 3-pointers, two from Gordon.
In the second quarter, they used another 3-point barrage to put the game out of reach.
"They got really hot from the 3-point line early," Pelicans guard Tim Frazier said. "And after they made a few, we had miscommunication and they got wide-open looks. They were shooting from five feet behind the line and knocking down shots. It's a credit to them."
Houston turned a 15-6 run into a 71-47 lead with 50.7 seconds left in the half. All five of its baskets during that stretch came from behind the arc, as the Rockets closed the half with a 5-of-9 blitz from deep to take a 22-point halftime lead.
When the Pelicans cut the deficit to 14 points in the fourth quarter, Harden and Anderson finished them off. Harden buried a 3-pointer with 1:34 to play to match the previous mark before Anderson nailed his second 3 to set the record.
Anderson is 11th in the league with 67 3-pointers yet fourth on the Rockets, trailing Gordon (100), Harden (82) and Ariza (75).
"It was one of those nights where it didn't feel like we put up 60 3s," Anderson said. "They were in-motion shots, they were good shots."
NOTES: The last time Houston won as many as nine consecutive games came during the 2007-08 season, when the Rockets produced a franchise-best 22-game winning streak. ... Pelicans G Tim Frazier returned to action after missing one game with a bone contusion in his right wrist. Frazier was originally set to miss 7-10 days with the injury. ... As part of their 50th anniversary celebration, the Rockets honored Rudy Tomjanovich during the game. Tomjanovich played all 11 of his seasons with the Rockets and served as head coach in Houston for 12 seasons, winning consecutive NBA titles in 1993-94 and 1994-95. He is the third-leading scorer in franchise history and has the most victories for a coach in team annals. ... After playing in his first game since Jan. 25 on Thursday night, Pelicans G-F Tyreke Evans sat out (rest).
Top Game Performances
New Orleans |
|
Houston |
Anthony Davis 19 |
Scoring |
Eric Gordon 29 |
Tim Frazier 5 |
Assists |
James Harden 13 |
Alexis Ajinca 8 |
Rebounds |
Patrick Beverley 11 |
Alexis Ajinca 4 |
Free Throws Made |
James Harden 9 |
Reggie Williams 2 |
Steals |
Trevor Ariza 3 |
Alexis Ajinca 2 |
Blocks |
Clint Capela 2 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
New Orleans
|
100 |
40.8 |
9-27 |
11-20 |
17 |
47 |
6 |
4 |
11 |
Houston
|
122 |
44.7 |
24-61 |
14-19 |
27 |
57 |
4 |
7 |
14 |
Upcoming Games
-
Houston will play their next game on the road against Minnesota. The Rockets have a W/L % of .684 after a win and .875 after a loss.
-
New Orleans will play their next game on the road against San Antonio. The Pelicans have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .316 after a loss.