Player Grades: Pelicans Lose Bout on the Road against the Houston Rockets
The New Orleans Pelicans lost a tough bout on the road, as they could not keep up with the Houston Rockets, who broke NBA records during the loss.
Tonight was just not the night for the New Orleans Pelicans.
In record fashion, the Houston Rockets defeated the Pelicans and made an NBA-record 24 3- pointers, in a 122-100 win Friday night.
James Harden had 29 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds for his 15th career triple double of his career, surpassing Hakeem Olajuwon for the most in franchise history.
Picking up their ninth straight win as well, the Rockets attempted a record 61 three pointers, breaking the previous record of 50 that they set earlier this year.
Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 19 points in 22 minutes of action. The team as a whole was outmatched tonight and many of the starters were rested throughout the second half.
The Rockets were just hot from outside of the arc and the Pelicans had no answers for their barrage of long range buckets.
Final. 122. 169. 100. 69
C-. Holiday led all Pelicans with 35 minutes tonight, but he scored an inefficient 11 points on 5-15 shooting and just 1-7 from behind the three-point line. The defense of Patrick Beverly played a major factor into his lackluster performance. Holiday struggled on the defensive end as well and only finished the night with one assist. His lack of contributions in other areas hurt the team, but finishing the night with 35 minutes is an encouraging sign.. PG. . JRUE HOLIDAY
. BUDDY HIELD. B. Going toe to toe with James Harden is not an easy task so let’s not be too hard on Hield. He had his hands full obviously, but the rookie is still learning the ins and outs of the NBA game. He made three out four three-pointers and finished the night with 11 points and five rebounds. As long as he keeps getting starts, his performances will get better with time and experience.. SG
E'TWAUN MOORE. C+. The Pelicans did not sign Moore to be bonafide scoring threat, so his offensive numbers will likely remain consistent. Converting on two of three attempts from behind the arc and finishing with eight points is a decent game, considering the contest was over before the 3rd quarter even started.. SG/SF.
. ANTHONY DAVIS. A. There is not much to say on Davis’ performance. He is expected to perform night in and night out, no matter who the opponent is. Davis finished the night with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. Considering that he only played 23 minutes, this is a good stat line. As far as defense goes, there is only so much one person can do, when the opposing team is hot from deep. Expect him to bounce back in the Pelicans next contest versus the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.. PF/C
ALEXIS AJINCA. B. Ajinca finished the night with eight points and eight rebounds. Interior defense was not much of a factor with the Rockets, mainly doing their damage from behind the three-point line. He finished 2-7 from the field in 22 minutes of actions. Ajinca was decent tonight to say the least.. C.
. TIM FRAZIER. B. Playing through an injured wrist, Frazier held his own tonight in limited minutes. Frazier finished the night with nine points, five assists, and four rebounds. He has contributed in all areas of the game this season and proven that he can stuff the stat sheet, when given the opportunity. Even with Evans back, Frazier should still find himself playing meaningful minutes.. PG
C. Galloway is mainly known for his hot streaks on offense and his shooting range. Tonight was just not his night. Galloway finished 1-5 from three-point range and put up seven points, to go along with three assists. He will have better performances in the future, as the Pelicans can certainly use his long range shooting.. PG/SG. . LANGSTON GALLOWAY
. REGGIE WILLIAMS. INC. Williams made no significant impact tonight. A stat line of one point, one rebound and one assist is not impressive at all. Considering that he only played 12 minutes, its tough to grade him in a blowout loss.. SF
. CHEICK DIALLO. B+. Diallo finished the night an efficient 4-5 from the field and held his own on the boards. 10 points and seven rebounds is a good stat line for the second-rounder. He had an up-to-par game on the defensive side of the ball as well. With the Pelicans needing more firepower next to Davis down low, Diallo could be seeing more playing time in the near future.. PF
. TERRENCE JONES. B. Jones has been a key role player for the Pelicans and his numbers continue to prove it. Jones had 16 points and eight rebounds on 7-14 shooting from the field. His 29 minutes were also second on the team. Great job tonight by Jones, as he is expected to continue to produce for the Pelicans, if his minutes continue to stay in the 24-30 range.. PF/C
TYREKE EVANS. INC. After playing 11 minutes in his first game of the season on Thursday against the Pacers, Evans got the night off for rest.. PG/SG/SF.
INC. Hill did not play tonight, as he is in New Orleans with his girlfriend, preparing for the birth of their first child.. SF/PF. . SOLOMON HILL
Other Observations:
- Tonight was just a horrible night for New Orleans on the court. They were outmatched and outplayed by Houston in ever facet of the game. Things did not go in their favor, but Houston is a legit title contender this year. The Pelicans can use this bout as a learning experience and get back to the drawing board.
Next: Grades from Pelicans' Victory Thursday Night Against the Indiana Pacers
The New Orleans Pelicans will be hoping to have a better performance on the hardwood on Sunday night, when the face the Spurs in San Antonio. The game will tip off at 6:00 PM CST.