NBA: Pelicans hang for quarter, then Rockets turn on afterburners

Alperen Sengun delivered a dominant all-around performance, scoring 36 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a 134-102 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

Sengun also made five of seven three-pointers, handed out seven assists, recorded three steals, and blocked three shots. Jabari Smith Jr. and Kevin Durant each added 20 points, with Durant sitting out the entire fourth quarter of the blowout. Houston (45-29) holds a four-game lead over Phoenix for the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference. Clint Capela contributed 14 rebounds in just 16 minutes off the bench.

For New Orleans (25-51), Dejounte Murray scored 19 points, while Saddiq Bey and Zion Williamson each had 18. The Pelicans suffered their fifth straight loss.

Houston jumped out to an early lead, but New Orleans responded with a 12-2 run to tie the game at 29 at the end of the first quarter. The Rockets, however, pulled away in the second, opening the period with a 23-3 burst while Durant rested. Sengun scored 14 points in the quarter, finishing the first half with 20 points on perfect three-point shooting (3-of-3). His lob pass to Thompson for a spectacular alley-oop dunk with two seconds left capped a 39-18 Houston quarter, giving the Rockets a 68-47 halftime lead. During that span, the Pelicans committed six turnovers and were outrebounded 16-5.

Houston extended its lead to 73-49 early in the third quarter before New Orleans went on a 14-3 run to narrow the gap to 76-63. Williamson sparked the Pelicans offensively as they cleaned up turnovers and improved their rebounding, but Houston finished the quarter strong, taking a 101-80 lead into the final period.

With Durant resting again, Sengun dominated the fourth quarter, helping Houston pull away. The lead ballooned to 128-95 late in the game as both teams emptied their benches.

—Field Level Media/Reuters