Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preseason Game Preview | Game 2

The New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets will play at Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama, for a 7 PM CT tip-off on Oct. 12.

The New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets will play at Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama, for a 7 PM CT tip-off on Oct. 12.  Orlando defeated the Pelicans 122-105 in the preseason opener on Tues., Oct. 10.

Last season, the Houston Rockets were 14th in the Western Conference (4th Southwest Division) with a record of 22-60.  New Orleans registered a 42-40 record, placing them 9th in the Western Conference and 2nd in the Southwest Division.

• Sports Illustrated's game probability gives the upper hand to the Pelicans at 57.4% and the Rockets at 42.6%.
• SI Sportsbook projects the Pelicans as a 3.5-point favorite over the Rockets in Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Preseason match.

Oct 10, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green reacts against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

COACH GREEN'S COMMENTS ON GAME 1

Although the Pelicans loss its first game of the preseason, head coach Willie Green said, "We'll go back and look.  Like I said, I thought solid first half, second half, not so much.  We still got a ton of work in front of us, we know it. So, we'll get back to some practice tomorrow, watching film, get on the floor and continue to build."

Zion Williamson played 15 minutes against Orlando.  Coach Green was positive about his star power forward's 12-point and five-board outing.  "I thought he was great.  He looked good.  He does what he does, he gets on the floor, he creates contact.  His gravity gets guys open looks and like I said, I thought the first half it looked pretty solid for us," Green said in his postgame comments.

New Orleans Pelicans (0-1) vs. Houston Rockets (1-0)

• Preseason Game #2 • Home Game #2
• Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL
• Oct. 12, 2023 at 7:00 PM (CT)
• TV: Pelicans.com ; Radio: WRNO 99.5 FM
• Social Media: @PelicanScoop
• Website: PelicanScoop.com

New Orleans Pelicans Starting Lineup

• CJ McCollum - Guard
• Herb Jones - Guard
• Brandon Ingram - Forward
• Zion Williamson - Forward
• Jonas Valanciunas - Center

New Orleans' starters for Game 2, participated in 10 games together during the 2022-23 season with a 6-4 record.

Preseason Game 1 Highs

1. High Scorer - Brandon Ingram: 14 points
2. High Rebounder - Valanciunas: 11 rebounds
3. High Assists - Williamson: 5

Notes on Preseason Opener

• New Orleans turned the ball over 17 times, which led to 26 points for the Magic, while Orlando only had 13 miscues, which led to 14 points for the Pelicans.
• In 17 minutes of play,  Brandon Ingram recorded 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.  Ingram converted 6-of-12 (.500) from the floor, 1-of-3 (.333) from three-point range and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line.
• Zion Williamson posted 12 points, five boards, and five assists in only 15 minutes of action.  Williamson shot 4-of-8 (.500) from the floor and 4-of-6 (.667) from the charity line.
• First-round pick rookie guard Jordan Hawkins posted nine points, three rebounds, and three assists.

Pelicans Fall To Magic In Preseason Opener

Houston Rockets Starting Lineup

• Dillon Brooks - Forward
• Jabari Smith Jr. - Forward
• Alperen Sengun - Center
• Jalen Green - Guard
• Tari Eason - 6th Man

Houston won its first preseason game of the year against Indiana on Oct. 10.  In six of the last seven years, the Rockets have had a winning preseason record, including a 3-1 record in 2022. 

Opponent Intel:

• Rockets outshot Indiana 46.7% to 40.7%
• Houston outscored Indiana 15 to 8 in fast break points
• Houston outscored Indiana 58 to 40 in points in the paint