Rockets Pluck Pelicans, 126-112, Extend Winning Streak to Five
Second Quarter Swing. “Big Easy” Vibe. Recognizing Greatness.
“I definitely wanted to show them what they missed out on,” Christian Wood said after the Rockets beat the team that cut Wood in 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans, 126-112. And Wood had plenty to display on Saturday night, as his 27 points fueled a dominant Rockets victory over an upstart Pelicans team. Houston trailed yet again early in this contest, staring an 11-point deficit in the face in the first quarter. New Orleans started hot from beyond the arc, nailing 6 of their first 11 threes, but after that, the Pelicans missed 22 of their next 24 shots from three. And, the Rockets happened to have one of their best quarters in franchise history in the second period. Houston shot 9 for 12 from long range, and outscored New Orleans 48 to 22, en route a 29-point first half swing, turning an 11-point Houston hole into an 18-point halftime cushion. Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 26 points, but the Rockets were never in danger of surrendering their lead at the break.
Victor Oladipo scored 20, and Wall added 15, as the Rockets are really starting to build chemistry and gel with their new teammates. The oldest tenured Rocket, Eric Gordon, said “this has been fun!!!” after the game. Someone who has his own Fun Meter, familiar to die-hard Rocket fans. And when EG’s Fun Meter’s turned up, that’s a great for Houston, and dangerous for the rest of the league. After the squad extended their winning streak, Splash Gordon said this team is starting to have the same vibe as the 65-win Rocket team that almost took down the Warriors dynasty three years ago. It’s a “Big-Easy”, fun, celebrating mood in the locker room. This Houston team truly loves playing together. The win in the Big Easy extends the Rockets’ winning streak to five games, and there’s definitely a sense of culture change in Houston. All the remnants, debris, and memories of the James Harden trade are gone. The WOW Factor is now officially a “thing” across the league. And you’ll only be hearing more as the season goes along.
One can argue, either Wood, Wall, or Oladipo as being the Rockets best player, as they’re all keys to their success. But Houston’s vocal leader, and in the locker room, is John Wall. Wall continues to throw shade at James Harden after the Rockets latest victory, along with the Nets collapse to the Russell Westbrook and the Wizards on Sunday night, gives Houston and Brooklyn the same amount of losses. Wall said, “as you can see we had 32 assists tonight. That’s the team we wanna be. A team that scores a lot off assists, not one-on-one basketball.” Harden’s Rockets were the definition of one-on-one basketball, and Houston isolated more than any team in the league with Harden. Now, the Rockets can play as a team, and the results, despite losing a superstar-player, have been tremendously on the upswing for Houston. Since the trade, the Rockets have the best defensive rating in basketball, while the Nets have the worst. Not to mention the squad was 3-6 when Harden was still on the roster, and are 6-3 since he departed for Brooklyn. Wall’s leadership since he arrived in Houston has been noteworthy. Expect him to take subtle jabs at Harden throughout the season, as these Rockets are simply much better than anyone realizes. Except for John Wall and company.
And Wall also is well aware how important P.J. Tucker is to this Rockets team. Tucker’s name has been in the trade rumors all season, and fans have complained about his shooting and lack of offense. But Houston knows they can’t contend for a title without P.J. Houston’s vocal leader, John Wall, brought up the importance of P.J. Tucker after the game. And his teammates followed suit. On P.J., Oladipo had high praise, “P.J. Tucker is a rarity… we’re gonna need him if we’re gonna win at a high level.” EG said, “no question, everybody needs a P.J. Tucker on every team. We’re lucky to have him.” Speaking of luck, Houston’s fortunate to realize they snagged the free-agent of the off-season, in Christian Wood, who’s slowly developing into an All-Star. Wood’s another Rocket with a chip on his shoulder, who wanted to show New Orleans, the team who passed on him in 2019, what they’re missing. And on Saturday night… he gave them front row seats to the show.