Christian Wood scored 27 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in just 27 minutes, leading the Houston Rockets to a fifth straight victory during Saturday’s commanding 126-112 win (box score) at New Orleans. The 25-year-old center hit 11-of-13 shots (84.6%) from the field, and he scored 16 of those 27 points during the second quarter — when the Rockets blew open the game with a 48-22 period against the host Pelicans.
Those 48 points were the third-most of any quarter in franchise history. It’s the fifth straight win for the Rockets (9-9), representing the team’s longest of the 2020-21 NBA season to date. Since agreeing to trade superstar guard James Harden, Houston is 6-3 overall.
The Pelicans (7-11) were led in defeat by Zion Williamson, who had 26 points and 7 rebounds in 29 minutes.
Thanks to the lopsided score, the Rockets led by double digits for nearly the entire second half, and no one on the roster played more than 28 minutes. Victor Oladipo had 20 points (4-of-8 on 3-pointers), 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in just 25 minutes, while backcourt mate John Wall had a line of 15 points and 9 assists in just 26 minutes. Rookie forward Jae’Sean Tate had 13 points and 9 rebounds in 24 minutes, while veteran guard Eric Gordon added 14 points and 4 assists in 23 minutes off the bench.
48pts in the 2nd quarter! 3rd highest in franchise history!
Highlights ⤵️🔥 pic.twitter.com/jKcNJgSJmZ
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) January 31, 2021
Reserve swingman David Nwaba, who had 9 points in 16 minutes and showcased his typically strong defense, left the game early in the fourth quarter with a left ankle sprain. Head coach Stephen Silas said postgame that it was too early to know whether he would miss any games.
The Rockets return to action on Monday night in Oklahoma City for the first of two straight road games against the Thunder (8-10). As for Saturday, additional highlights of Houston’s standouts and reaction from the victorious locker room in New Orleans is available below.
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