National Basketball Association
New Orleans 120, Houston 107
When: 7:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 6, 2022
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Officials: #17 Jonathan Sterling, #87 Danielle Scott, #45 Brian Forte
Attendance: 15702

Brandon Ingram scored 33 points and had 12 assists as the New Orleans Pelicans rode a third-quarter surge to a 120-107 road win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Jaxson Hayes came off the bench to contribute 21 points and seven rebounds to help the Pelicans to their third consecutive victory, their longest winning streak since a four-game run from Dec. 15-23. Ingram fueled a 22-point turnaround in the third quarter, when New Orleans rallied from a 60-49 deficit and finished with an 86-75 lead when he assisted on Jose Alvarado's 3-pointer with 41.2 seconds left in the period, capping a 15-5 burst.

Houston closed within four points early in the fourth quarter on back-to-back 3-pointers by Garrison Mathews, but Hayes made a three-point play and hit a layup to help the Pelicans reclaim control and take a 92-83 lead.

Josh Hart contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Pelicans, who shot 53.2 percent from the floor. Hayes, who shot 9-for-9 Friday in Denver, finished 8-for-10 with one 3-pointer. Ingram scored 17 points in the third quarter, including eight in a row during a 13-0 run.

Christian Wood led the Rockets with 22 points and eight rebounds. Jalen Green and Mathews scored 18 apiece, and Josh Christopher (12) and KJ Martin (nine) combined for 21 off the bench.

Hayes converted back-to-back Houston turnovers into dunks to help the Pelicans take an early 15-11 lead. Hayes poured in 13 first-quarter points, half of New Orleans' total, in just 10 minutes, but the Rockets found a counter to Hayes' scoring in their reserves. Christopher, Martin and Mathews combined for 21 first-half points, with 20 of those points coming in the second period.

Martin threw down a trio of vicious dunks to fuel the Rockets, the third giving Houston a 33-31 lead. The remainder of the second quarter saw four ties, three lead changes and neither team leading by more than five points. Houston closed the half with a 9-2 run capped by Wood's tip-in with 0.6 seconds remaining for a 54-49 lead. The Rockets ran off the first six points of the third quarter to go up by 11 before Ingram and the Pelicans came alive.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
New Orleans   Houston
Brandon Ingram 33 Scoring Christian Wood 22
Brandon Ingram 12 Assists Kevin Porter Jr. 8
Josh Hart 7 Rebounds Christian Wood 8
Jonas Valanciunas 7 Free Throws Made Jalen Green 4
Josh Hart 3 Steals Jalen Green 2
Jaxson Hayes 2 Blocks Alperen Sengun 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
New Orleans 120 53.2 12-29 26-36 29 33 4 12 13
Houston 107 47.6 16-45 11-16 28 33 7 5 18
Upcoming Games
  • Houston will play their next game on the road against New Orleans. The Rockets have a W/L % of .467 after a win and .211 after a loss.
  • New Orleans will play their next game at home against Houston. The Pelicans have a W/L % of .400 after a win and .394 after a loss.