Inside The Rockets

Views from the Game: Houston Rockets Crush New Orleans Pelicans

Here are my views from the Houston Rockets win over the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday night.

Lachard Binkley

Rockets vs Pelicans
Rockets vs Pelicans / Lachard Binkley
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The Houston Rockets hosted the New Orleans Pelicans for game three of the 2024 preseason. The Rockets had their expected starting lineup on the court for the first time. The Pelicans came into Tuesday night's matchup with the same record as the Rockets at 1-1.

Ime Udoka told Rockets on SI before Sunday's Rockets "Lift Off" event that in the last two games, they plan to have more of a regular rotation but not regular minutes in the final two games. Tari Eason and Jock Landale were the only two Rockets out for Tuesday's preseason home opener.

First Quarter

The Rockets got off to a fast start, as Dillon Brooks nailed a couple of early 3-pointers, and Jabari Smith was active around the basket. The Rockets jumped out to a double-digit lead with three minutes left in the quarter.

Brooks led all scorers early with nine points on 3-4 shooting from the field and 3-3 from deep. Despite not scoring in the first period, Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with four assists. The Pelicans closed the gap to end the first quarter as the Rockets took a 30-23 lead into the second quarter.

Second Quarter

The Rockets came out with a different look than they normally see, with Jabari Smith playing small forward. Alperen Sengun and Jeff Green handled the front court duties at small forward starting in the second quarter

Reed Sheppard got into the scoring column with back-to-back 3-pointers as the Rockets took a 39-30 lead with 8:40 left in the quarter. Sheppard wasn't done as he finished a wide-open fast break with a two-hand slam. The Rockets hit the boards, leading the rebounding battle by five early in the second quarter.

VanVleet got on the board, nailing a corner 3-pointer immediately following a Rockets timeout. After the Pelicans cut the lead to 46-36, the Rockets scored seven straight points to push the lead up to 17. The Rockets maintained that lead to the end of the quarter, taking a 64-50 lead into the half.

Third Quarter

The Pelicans came out of halftime playing much more aggressively than they did in the first half. After a Pelicans dunk cut the lead to ten points, Udoka called a timeout and did not seem happy with the defensive effort.

After the timeout, the Rockets were able to get back on track. After a Jalen Green layup, the Rockets went back up 14 with five minutes left in the quarter. The Rockets had a mass substitution, as the entire starting unit went to the bench, as Udoka wanted to keep the starter's minutes close to 20 minutes each.

The Pelicans made another run to end the quarter as they were able to cut the lead down to seven at 90-83 to end the third quarter.

Fourth Quarter

With the lead down to seven Udoka brought back in Sengun and Smith to try and get the momentum back for the Rockets. Both teams would trade baskets for most of the fourth quarter as the Rockets held onto a 97-90 lead.

After the Pelicans missed a shot, the Rockets pushed the ball up, and Sengun nailed a top-of-the-key 3-pointer without hesitation to push the Rockets' lead back to double digits. The Rockets went deep into the bench in the last five minutes of the game, finally pulling away and winning 118-98.

Jalen Green was the game's leading scorer, finishing with 19 points in only 23 minutes. Another standout was Steven Adams, who pulled down 11 rebounds in only 15 minutes of action. Udoka told Rockets on SI about the benefit of having Adams on your team.

Having a player who can have such a significant impact in such a short amount of time is invaluable, and Adams has been everything the Rockets were hoping he would be when they made the trade before last season's deadline.

Reed Sheppard showed an array of shot-making in the second quarter, going 4-4 in the second frame. Everyone from Udoka to Jeff Green spoke about Sheppard's play last night.

Coach Udoka rarely even cracks a smile, let alone makes a joke, so that tells you alot about how he feels about Sheppard's play in last night's win.

The Rockets are back in action Thursday as they host the San Antonio Spurs to close the preseason.

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Lachard Binkley
LACHARD BINKLEY

Lachard is a lifelong Houstonian who has followed the Rockets since the 80s. He is a credential reporter covering the Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

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