The New Orleans Pelicans (6-22) came back from a 25-point deficit and secured their third straight win with an intense 133-128 overtime win against the Houston Rockets (16-8) on December 19.
Here are the key stats and the best performers of the game:
BEST PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Saddiq Bey NOP SF 29 PTS | 9 REB | 2 STL | 46.3 FPS
Saddiq flipped the switch after halftime, exploding for 21 points to record his season-high scoring effort and his eighth 20-point performance. He has now led the team in scoring twice this season, while also topping them in rebounding five times and in playmaking on three occasions.
BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE:
Herbert Jones NOP SF 18 PTS | 3 AST | 8 STL | 52.1 FPS
Jones was a force on both ends. He recorded a career-high 8 steals on defense, and also delivered on offense with a season-high scoring performance.
SCORING MACHINES:
Trey Murphy NOP SF 27 PTS | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 39.6 FPS
Murphy filled up the stat sheet and stayed hot offensively, notching his seventh straight 20-point performance. He also leads the team in scoring with 21.3 ppg and rebounding with 6.4 rpg this season.
Amen Thompson HOU SF 23 PTS | 6 REB | 4 AST | 38.2 FPS
Thompson had an elite offensive showing, shooting 11-for-14 from the field to notch his 9th 20-point performance of the season.
STAT SPECIALIST:
Alperen Sengun HOU C 28 PTS | 11 REB | 8 AST | 63.2 FPS
Sengun almost notched his fifth 30-point game and his third 10-assist outing of the season. But he stayed consistent on the boards, putting up his fourth-straight double-digit game. He’s also been highly productive offensively, averaging 28 points over his last six games despite going 1-for-14 from three.
DEFENSIVE STANDOUT:
Derik Queen NOP C 16 PTS | 12 REB | 3 BLK | 40.9 FPS
Queen recorded his third double-digit rebounding game of the season and also scored at least 15 points for the third time in his last four. He continues to be one of the best rookies this season, ranking 6th in points and 1st in rebounding.
THE SHARPSHOOTER:
Kevin Durant HOU PF 32 PTS | 4-6 3PT | 7 REB | 52.4 FPS
KD started hot, going 5-for-5 and scoring 13 points in the first quarter. He finished with his seventh 30-point outing while tying a season-high 4 threes. Defensively, he’s even more impressive, averaging 4.5 blocks in his last two games.
THE X-FACTOR:
Jordan Poole NOP SG 15 PTS | 2 AST | 3 STL | 26.2 FPS
Poole has scored at least 15 points in each of his last three games while also averaging 2 steals.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Jabari Smith Jr. HOU PF 12 PTS | 12 REB | 2 AST | 25.4 FPS
Smith Jr. shot 1-for-6 from deep and finished with his worst scoring game of the month. But he stayed impactful, posting his third-straight double-double game.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE GAME:
Zion Williamson NOP PF 9 PTS | 3 REB | 5 AST
Zion struggled in his second game back from an injury and finished with his worst scoring game of the season.
