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Houston Rockets Vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Dec 18, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Saddiq Bey (41) dribbles against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Tonight, the Houston Rockets return to the scene of their second-biggest collapse of the season. Until their demoralizing loss in Minnesota, I figured the New Orleans game in December would stand alone. Of course, this team has surprised me over and over again with ways to frustrate us.

I was at the Smoothie King Center on December 18. I was visiting my brother and the Rockets just so happened to be in town. Houston led by 22 at halftime and 25 early in the second half. The Rockets even held a 16-point lead heading into the final frame. However, turnovers and poor defensive effort would rear their ugly heads. New Orleans scored 38 points in the third quarter and 36 more in the fourth. Houston missed nine free throws, and all of them came from players 6-10 and taller. More than one miss was an airball. The New Orleans crowd, which had had nothing to cheer about for 30 minutes, roared to life for the final 18 minutes of regulation and all of overtime.

I could tell you about how Saddiq Bey had the kind of game that can get players paid a lot of money in free agency. Or how Derik Queen talked trash all night and backed it up. I could talk about how Kevin Durant didn’t miss a shot in the first quarter and dominated until New Orleans sent a second defender at him, which led to six turnovers. Or how Amen Thompson went 11-14 and made some clutch plays to give the Rockets a fighting chance in the fourth.

None of it matters, though. It was the beginning of a disturbing trend for the Rockets that still hasn’t resolved. Houston still struggles defensively. They still turn the ball over a ton. They have found a few answers for the double team, but it’s still mostly a winning strategy against Durant, who is on pace to turn the ball over more times than in any season since turning 25. They still miss free throws. And they continue to struggle in fourth quarters despite bringing in one of the best closers in NBA history.

The other two matchups against New Orleans have been tight affairs, too. In January, the Rockets rode a monster night from Jabari Smith Jr. to win a game where they never really put the Pelicans away. And last week, Houston needed some boneheaded mistakes down the stretch from New Orleans to walk away with the win after blowing a 7-point lead with under four minutes to go. You were shocked, I know.

The Pelicans have cooled off a bit since that game, where they came into Toyota Center on a hot streak. They won their next three but have dropped four straight against four of the top five teams in the East. They’re returning home after a long week on the road against good teams. They’ll be looking for a bounce back.

And in case in needs to be restated, the Pelicans do not own their 2026 first round draft pick. So unlike Memphis, who was happy to let Houston run away with the game in the fourth quarter, New Orleans is here to play spoiler and decide if this core has what it takes to keep them around for another year. And the early returns are that this team is definitely going to be a tougher out next season, especially if they stay healthy.