NEW ORLEANS -- No one has played more games this season for the New Orleans Pelicans than forward Solomon Hill.

In his 58 games as a starter, his scoring average of 6.5 points per game perfectly describes a player living in the shadows, hustling on defense but offensively challenged, waiting for an offensive rebound or a loose ball to fall into his lap.

But on Friday night against the high-octane Houston Rockets, Hill had an out-of-body experience, exploding for a career-high 30 points and dishing out seven assists to power the Pelicans to a 128-112 victory.

For most of the season, Hill was dreadful from the 3-point range, making only 33 percent of his attempts. Against the Rockets, Hill turned the 3-point arc into his friend, converting 6 of 9.

"Solomon Hill killed us," Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said.

"It started off with Solo," said New Orleans point guard Jrue Holiday, who had 19 points and six assists. "Like I told him, I think he's just being aggressive and he's going to the basket knowing what he wants to do, not being indecisive when he gets in the air. When he's going to the basket, he's going strong."

Anthony Davis, who added 24 points and 15 rebounds, said Hill came out looking to attack rather than sitting back and waiting for scraps.

"He looked great, he was talking and being aggressive," Davis said. "He's been a guy doing what the team and the coach asked him to do. To go out there and have a night like this is huge for him, huge for us. He's been playing well the past five to seven games. He's just got to keep it going."

Hill exploded for 16 first-quarter points as New Orleans (28-41) took a 36-23 lead.

"I've had a couple of games where I came out hot in the first quarter, and coach just told me -- everybody just told me -- to keep being aggressive," Hill said. "We capitalized on some of the things they did. I just wanted to stay aggressive. I just want to show Coach I can do multiple things to help the team. A.D.'s going to be a walking double-team no matter who he plays, and when he gets that attention, it's late close-outs for everybody else. We just got to knock down big shots."

The Pelicans played without center DeMarcus Cousins, who was rested with a sore left knee and bruised right rib.

The Rockets (47-22) got a triple-double from James Harden -- 41 points, 11 assists and 14 rebounds -- but even though they cut a 23-point deficit to 114-103 with 5:27 left, they got no closer. It was Harden's 18th triple-double of the season.

"They just came out with some aggressiveness," Harden said. "Offensively, they were in attack mode. We got down and we never got in range."

The Rockets opened the third with back-to-back threes by Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley to cut the deficit to 68-56, but Hill and Holiday combined for 21 points in the third quarter as the Pelicans took a 99-81 lead into the fourth.

Without Cousins, the Pelicans seemed to move the ball better, with better spacing, and they built a 68-50 halftime lead even though Davis scored only nine points.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said even though his team moved the ball crisply -- recording 29 assists -- he still misses Cousins' presence. He is trying to refine the Twin Towers offense over the last months of the season.

"The guy is averaging 26 points and 12 rebounds," Gentry said. "I don't think you could ever take that away from your team and you're a better team."

NOTES: The Rockets were 30 minutes later than their scheduled arrival to the arena because they ran into traffic problems after spending the night in Baton Rouge, La., 80 miles north of New Orleans. But coach Mike D'Antoni said it had nothing to do with his team's lackluster effort. "It's a nice excuse," he said. "We shouldn't have excuses." ... Pelicans C DE Marcus Cousins took a shot to the ribs in a 120-112 road loss to Miami on Wednesday night. "Obviously, the hit he took during the game has something to do with (his Friday absence)," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. "The knee was just sore. He had an MRI. Obviously, it was negative, but there's no reason to ever put anybody out there at risk." ... D'Antoni said despite the early struggles the Pelicans have had integrating Cousins into the lineup with Anthony Davis, it will work in the long run, although he specializes in small ball. "You aren't talking to a credible source on two big guys," D'Antoni said, laughing.