There’s a certain kind of satisfaction that comes with exorcising a demon. For the Houston Rockets, that demon wore a New Orleans Pelicans jersey and lived in the Smoothie King Center—a place where, back in December, they watched a massive lead evaporate into thin air, leaving behind nothing but regret and a lesson learned the hard way.
On Sunday night, the Rockets made sure the lesson stuck.
Rolling into the Big Easy with momentum already in their luggage, Houston delivered a 134-102 demolition of the Pelicans that wasn’t just a win—it was a surgical, statement-making beatdown. The kind that reminds the Western Conference that this Rockets team, now 45-29 and temporarily knotted with the Minnesota Timberwolves for fifth place, isn’t here to play nice.
And at the center of it all, literally and figuratively, stood Alperen Sengun—a two-time All-Star who turned the Smoothie King Center into his personal playground with a performance that bordered on the absurd.
The Run That Broke the Game Open
For 12 minutes, it looked like we might be in for a slog. The first quarter ended with the scoreboard reading 29-29, a polite stalemate between two teams who seemed content to feel each other out. The Rockets had actually trailed 26-20 at one point, and if you were a Houston fan with a long memory, December’s collapse might have started whispering in your ear.
Then the second quarter happened.
What unfolded over the next 12 minutes was less a basketball game and more a controlled demolition. Houston went on a staggering 36-8 run that stretched from the tail end of the first period deep into the second. The Rockets outscored New Orleans 39-18 in the quarter, turning a tie game into a 68-41 halftime blowout that had the home crowd searching for the exits before the third quarter even tipped off.
The defining sequence came in the form of a 20-3 run in the second quarter—a stretch where the Rockets looked like they were playing a different sport entirely. The ball moved with purpose. The defense tightened like a vise. And perhaps most importantly for a team that has often been its own worst enemy in the turnover department, Houston committed just four turnovers all game, resulting in exactly zero points for the Pelicans. Zero.
When you combine that kind of ball security with the offensive avalanche that followed, you get what the Rockets delivered: a 32-point road victory that felt even more lopsided than the final score suggested.
Sengun on Fire: A Career Night for the Ages
Let’s talk about Alperen Sengun. Actually, let’s take a moment to appreciate what we witnessed.
The Turkish big man has been stacking All-Star seasons like building blocks, but Sunday night in New Orleans might have been his most complete offensive performance to date. Sengun finished with a game-high 36 points on 52% shooting, adding 14 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and three blocks. It was the kind of stat line that makes you check the box score twice just to make sure your eyes aren’t deceiving you.
But the numbers, as impressive as they are, don’t tell the full story.
It was the way Sengun scored that turned heads. The two-time All-Star, who has built his reputation on footwork and finesse in the post, suddenly transformed into a sniper from deep. He knocked down a career-high five 3-pointers on seven attempts—a scorching 5-for-7 from beyond the arc that had the Pelicans’ defense scrambling for answers that didn’t exist.
In the first half alone, Sengun poured in 20 points, with 14 of those coming in that game-altering second quarter. During that 12-minute stretch, he was everywhere: 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. He was 3-for-3 from 3-point range in the half, a development that should terrify the rest of the Western Conference. If Sengun has added a reliable perimeter shot to his already devastating arsenal, good luck containing him.
Perhaps the most telling moment came late in the second quarter when Sengun delivered two pinpoint passes to Amen Thompson that sealed the half with a flourish. It wasn’t just scoring; it was playmaking, rebounding, defending, and leadership all rolled into one 32-minute masterpiece.
He finished 5-for-7 from downtown, a career high that suggests his outside shot isn’t just a one-night miracle. It might be the next evolution of an already elite player.
Bench Impact Arrives at the Perfect Time
For months, the Rockets have been searching for consistency from their second unit. On Sunday night, they found it.
Tari Eason has been navigating a frustrating shooting slump that stretched on for a month and a half—the kind of dry spell that tests a player’s mental fortitude as much as his mechanics. But against the Pelicans, Eason looked like the energizer bunny that Rockets fans have come to love. Coming off the bench, he delivered 15 points on 50% shooting, knocking down three of his five attempts from deep while grabbing seven rebounds. Twelve of those points came in the first half, providing a crucial spark when the game was still in the balance.
Eason wasn’t alone. The Rockets’ bench collectively contributed 40 points, with 16 of those coming in the first half—a number that looms large when you consider that the game was essentially decided by halftime. Aaron Holiday logged 25 minutes and chipped in nine points, all from beyond the arc, providing steady veteran presence when the offense needed spacing.
Then there was Clint Capela. The veteran backup center, now in a reduced role but still a force on the glass, put together one of his most efficient performances of the season: six points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in just 16 minutes of action. When your backup big man is posting double-digit rebounds in limited minutes, you know it’s a good night.
Jae’Sean Tate added four points in 13 minutes, doing the little things that don’t always show up in the box score. It was a collective effort from the second unit that provided exactly what head coach Ime Udoka has been asking for: energy, production, and the ability to maintain—or in this case, extend—leads when the starters rest.
What’s Next: A Knicks Showdown Awaits
The Rockets will head back to Houston with a 45-29 record, temporarily tied with Minnesota for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference. But temporary is the operative word. The West remains a gauntlet, and every game from here on out carries the weight of playoff positioning.
That brings us to Tuesday night at Toyota Center, where the New York Knicks come to town for a nationally televised showdown on NBC. The Knicks, perennial contenders in the East, represent exactly the kind of test a team like Houston needs this time of year—a high-stakes matchup against a disciplined, physical opponent that will measure just how real this Rockets team is.
If Sunday’s performance in New Orleans was any indication, the Rockets are ready for the moment. They’ve exorcised one demon. Now, they’re setting their sights on bigger prey.
The Verdict
There are blowouts, and then there are statements. What the Rockets did to the Pelicans on Sunday night falls firmly into the latter category.
Houston took a team that had beaten them earlier in the season, on the same floor where they’d once let a lead slip away, and dismantled them from the second quarter onward. They did it with defense that forced 15 Pelicans turnovers. They did it with ball security that bordered on flawless. They did it with an MVP-caliber performance from Sengun and a bench that finally looks like the weapon it was always supposed to be.
At 45-29, the Rockets aren’t just fighting for playoff positioning anymore. They’re sending a message to the rest of the West: this team has depth, it has star power, and it has the kind of resilience that comes from learning hard lessons earlier in the season.
December’s collapse in New Orleans feels like a distant memory now. What matters is what happens next—and if Tuesday night against the Knicks is anything like Sunday, the rest of the league should be on notice.