Rockets Fall Short Against Pelicans Despite Fierce Effort at Toyota Center
The Houston Rockets, with a record of 22-25, faced off against the New Orleans Pelicans, who held a 27-21 record. The contest concluded with the scoreboard reading 110-99 in favor of the visiting team.
At the Toyota Center, home to the Rockets, fans witnessed an intense battle as their team sought to climb up from their sub-.500 standing. The Rockets opened with energy but trailed by eight points after the first quarter. They managed to outscore the Pelicans in the second quarter by one point but still found themselves behind at halftime.
The Rockets' defense struggled to contain a potent Pelicans offense that boasted a field goal percentage of fifty percent and was particularly effective from inside the arc with a sixty-two percent success rate on two-point attempts. The home team's efforts were hampered by their own shooting woes; they finished at forty percent from the field and thirty percent from beyond three-point range despite an impressive ninety-four percent accuracy from free throw line.
Houston's tenacity shone through in their fast break performance where they scored seventeen points and demonstrated strong ball security with only five turnovers throughout four quarters of play. Their defensive hustle resulted in eleven steals which contributed to twelve points off turnovers.
A key factor for Houston was bench production; reserves contributed twenty-nine points to keep them within striking distance. However, despite these efforts and leading briefly during early stages of play, they could not surmount New Orleans' largest lead which extended up to twenty points.
The Pelicans capitalized on their opportunities in paint scoring fifty points compared to thirty-six by Houston and dominated rebounds grabbing sixty-seven overall – more than double that of Rockets' thirty-four rebounds – showcasing significant control over both ends of court.
As for individual performances, no Rocket player was ejected or fouled out although collectively they drew twenty-two fouls while committing twenty-one personal fouls themselves. Their efficiency game score stood at seventy-four point seven reflecting both struggles and moments of effectiveness throughout this matchup against New Orleans whose efficiency reached eighty-four point two.
Looking ahead after this tough loss, fans can catch next action when Houston hosts Toronto Raptors at Toyota Center on February 2nd at 7:00 PM local time (Central Time). This game will be broadcasted on Space City Home Network channel six hundred seventy-four as well as internationally via SportsNet ensuring supporters won't miss any upcoming excitement featuring their beloved team.