Surging Rockets take aim at struggling Pelicans (Dec 16, 2016)
HOUSTON -- Given the lack of drama in the second half, it was easy to chuckle at how the Rockets fumbled away an opportunity to set an NBA single-game record for 3-pointers on Wednesday night in their blowout win over the Sacramento Kings.
The Rockets (19-7) won their eighth consecutive game by, in part, sinking 22 3-pointers in their 34-point victory. Houston shares the NBA record of 23 with the Golden State Warriors, and after rookie forward Kyle Wiltjer nailed a 3 with 3:55 left, the Rockets were one away from that mark. They closed the game by taking six of their final seven shots inside the arc to squander their shot at a new league mark.
But the bigger picture is this: Houston has hit at least 20 3-pointers in a game twice this season after having done so only twice previously in franchise history. Second-year forward Sam Dekker expressed confidence that this group will get another shot at the record this season, and with four Rockets ranked in the top 11 league-wide in 3-pointers, Dekker has every reason to forecast another record run.
"Each person has their job on this team. It's a specific group that's really put together well," said Rockets forward Ryan Anderson, whose 65 treys rank 11th in the NBA and fourth on the team behind Eric Gordon (93), James Harden (76) and Trevor Ariza (70). "And everybody accepts their role here. There are rare teams where everybody comes together as a cohesive unit rather than trying to play too much one-on-one or look out for themselves. And it's fun. It's an unselfish style of basketball."
The Rockets, who will host the New Orleans Pelicans (9-18) on Friday night at Toyota Center, did get a bit of bad news with the announcement that forward Donatas Motiejunas' rights were renounced and that he was an unrestricted free agent. Motiejunas and the Rockets had been in a prolonged stalemate regarding his contract status and his health. The resolution reached may ultimately hurt the team.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, snapped a 10-game losing skid against the Indiana Pacers with their 102-95 home win on Thursday night. All-Star forward Anthony Davis posted his seventh 35-point, 15-rebound game this season with 35 points and 16 boards while rookie guard Buddy Hield scored a career-high 21 points.
Perhaps the biggest positive for the Pelicans was the return of swingman Tyreke Evans, who played in his first game in 11 months after being sidelined by multiple right knee surgeries and a blood clot in his calf. His previous appearance was Jan. 25.
Evans finished with seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes. With Evans and guard Jrue Holiday, who missed the first 12 games of the season, back in the fold, the Pelicans are inching closer to finally being whole again.
"Getting out there running with my teammates in an actual game was exciting for me," Evans said. "I've been doing practices ... but it's definitely different in a game.
"The first couple of minutes I just wanted to get out there and catch a feel for the game and get my feet wet. When I hit that 3 (with 9:29 remaining in the fourth quarter) and that Euro step, I felt like I was ready to go."
