Houston Rockets Have Best Offensive Game of the Season in Win Over Pelicans

The Houston Rockets had their most efficient offensive game of the season in a blowout win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Dec 19, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after dunking against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are having their best start to a season since the 2017-18 season. They currently sit third in the Western Conference at 18-9, only a half-game behind the Memphis Grizzlies. The Rockets are winning despite struggling on offense for most of the season.

Before last night's game, the Rockets had a 3-point shooting percentage of just 32%, their lowest in over 30 years. When a team struggles offensively, facing one of the worst teams in the NBA can often provide an opportunity to get back on track.

That is exactly what happened Thursday night when the Rockets hosted the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans came into Thursday's matchup with the second-worst record and were ranked 26th in points allowed per game.

The Rockets fully capitalized on the Pelicans' weak defense and delivered their best offensive performance of the season. They scored 133 points, their second-highest total this season, and achieved their best shooting percentages at .575 overall and .436 from 3-point range.

The Rockets had three players score over 23 points, with Jalen Green leading the way with 34 points. Green shot 13 of 22 from the field in one of his best shooting performances of the season. The Rockets scored over 30 points in three out of the four quarters, ultimately achieving a blowout victory.

Ime Udoka has talked about how the Rockets have gotten good shots all season and they just weren't making the shots. Udoka also mentioned how he wanted his team to play at a faster pace so the team could get easier shots.

The Rockets were on fire Thursday night, scoring 28 fast-break points while maintaining a fast pace throughout the game. Any team performs better when making its shots, but this is particularly true for the Rockets, who play elite defense. The key for the Rockets is to do this consistently.

The Rockets go for their 19th win of the season Sunday as they travel to Toronto to take on the Raptors.

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