The Pelicans captured their fourth consecutive win, the second in as many nights, and the fifth win in the last six games on Sunday by outscoring the Rockets 41-19 in the fourth to earn a 127-112 victory.
The Good: E’Twaun Moore and Lonzo Ball
On a night where the Pelicans looked lifeless, it was an unlikely pairing that drug the team to a victory. The latter’s contributions will be discussed in the final section but the two were equally important. Moore caught fire in the fourth quarter from beyond the arc and finished with 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
In 22 minutes, Moore finished with a plus-minus of +22. As a player who has been in and out of the rotation, it was a lesson in always being ready as a role player.
Honorable Mentions: First-quarter shooting, fourth-quarter finishing, playoff hopes
The Bad: The middle quarters
It’s not really worth re-hashing because it’s been a problem all season for New Orleans but the Pelicans were outscored 56-50 by a depleted Rockets team. In the end, it didn’t hurt New Orleans thanks to an incredible fourth but those are the types of lulls that have to be eliminated against tougher competition.
The Ball: A career night
Lonzo Ball was red hot from the start on Sunday, hitting four three-pointers in the first quarter and five in the first half. He finished with a career-high seven three-pointers made en route to 27 points with nine rebounds and eight assists.
On a night when, as mentioned before, the Pelicans looked dead in the water at times, Ball and Moore were the sparks for the team, particularly in the fourth quarter. The game was likely Ball’s best as a Pelican and the continuation of a strong stretch of play since returning to the starting lineup.