In the sixth game of a season-long homestand and the opener of the NBA’s new in-season tournament for both teams, the Rockets continued their winning ways in Friday’s 104-101 victory (box score) over New Orleans. It’s the fifth straight win for Houston, which is now 5-3 on the 2023-24 season and 1-0 in tournament play.
The Rockets trailed for most of the second half but outscored the Pelicans by 12 in a decisive fourth quarter, with veteran guard Fred VanVleet going on a personal 8-0 run in the final 80 seconds. That turned a 5-point Houston deficit into a 3-point lead with 15 seconds left.
VanVleet finished with 20 points and 8 assists, and he made 4-of-9 from 3-poitn range (44.4%) — including a pair of daggers in that closing flurry that set Toyota Center into a frenzy.
Jalen Green led the Rockets in scoring with 25 points and 4 rebounds on Friday, while Alperen Sengun added an efficient 24 points and 8 rebounds on 11-of-15 shooting (73.3%).
In a losing effort, Brandon Ingram scored a game-high 31 points on 11-of-24 shooting (45.8%). Zion Williamson added 24 points and 8 rebounds on 8-of-16 from the field (50.0%), though it’s worth noting that Houston’s strong defense forced those two stars into nine turnovers. That matched the entire team total for the Rockets, who had half as many giveaways as the 18 by the Pelicans.
Here’s our look at highlights and postgame interviews, along with reaction by media members and fans. Next up for Houston, as its extended run at Toyota Center concludes, is Sunday’s matchup versus defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. Central.
Nov. 10 Rockets-Pelicans reaction
Leadership shines in high-pressure moments. @FredVanVleet had two three-pointers & made his free throws down the stretch.
Here’s FVV after the in-season tournament win over the Pelicans. @HoustonRockets @SpaceCityHN pic.twitter.com/sgOfyUJSkn
— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) November 11, 2023
FRED VANVLEET 3⃣ !!!!!!!!!#Rockets WIN 104-101 in @NBA In-Season Tournament Play@HoustonRockets on Space City Home Network pic.twitter.com/KXQyqvdbn7
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) November 11, 2023
FREDDY V THE MAN@FredVanVleet | #Rockets pic.twitter.com/qqhxnA2Gro
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 11, 2023
Tari Eason: "Fred with the bread!" 😂 pic.twitter.com/vrhj09WKlW
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) November 11, 2023
Dillon Brooks turn. https://t.co/8MNPnBpTa8
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) November 11, 2023
Ime Udoka says Alperen Sengun has been getter better defensively game by game. "He's a gifted offensive guy that's bought in on (the defensive) end and it's made a huge difference for our team." pic.twitter.com/HtIqExS9xD
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) November 11, 2023
Ime Udoka said he went with Jeff Green over Jabari Smith Jr. down the stretch because he wanted Green to defend Zion Williamson. pic.twitter.com/75rsNuvyP4
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) November 11, 2023
Fred VanVleet: "We didn't play worth a damn tonight. But man, we stuck in there. We kept fighting, showed a little bit of resilience. We got a lot of things we can work on going forward."
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) November 11, 2023
Yes Houston Rockets fans…They are on a five-game winning streak and yall should be very proud…#Rockets #Sarge #RocketsWire
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) November 11, 2023
Alperen Sengun & Fred Vanvleet took this game over down the stretch.
Sengun’s hustle on defense was absolutely incredible to close the game.
Dillon Brooks in foul trouble all game then was complete lockdown in the final period.
What an effort from this #Rockets team. Big win.
— Roosh (@RooshWilliams) November 11, 2023
I asked Alperen about having vets like Dillon and Fred
“Fred, Jeff and Dillon are on our a**” pic.twitter.com/cfcZYYQt7Q— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) November 11, 2023
Houston improves to the 5th best defense in the NBA per CTG. With Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun starting.
— Nathan Fogg (@NathanFogg1) November 11, 2023
Fred van Vleet has 5.15 assists for every 1 turnover.
— Nathan Fogg (@NathanFogg1) November 11, 2023
Honestly shout-out Dillion Brooks, the Pelicans are petrified trying to dribble around him. Zion too sloppy, Brandon to slow and weak.
He's shut everything down.
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) November 11, 2023
A sentence I thought I’d never type… the Rockets are super-fun to watch! This is literally the first time since 1995.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 11, 2023
NBA champion Fred VanVleet.
Just refused to lose this game.
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) November 11, 2023
He trusted Alperen to close out the game.. Damn that’s big!
— Apathetic (@ftank58) November 11, 2023
All I can think of is how insane these reps must be for Tari, Bari, Jalen and Sengun towards their development.
Playing basketball that matters is basically supercharging development, as we’ve seen basically everywhere in the league.
— Paulo Alves (@PauloAlvesNBA) November 11, 2023
What a comeback by the Rockets. Absurd. What a fun team to watch. SENGUUUUUUN!!!!
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) November 11, 2023
So much credit to Ime for being flexible with rotations, recognizing to move off of Bullock and minimize Landale to the extent possible.
When Amen comes back, the bench is Green/Eason/Tate/Amen.
I thought that Tate could be used in a trade (due to his expiring contract), but…
— RedNinetyFour (@RedNinetyFour) November 11, 2023
It feels surreal right now watching meaningful basketball again. The last time was the smallball experiment with Russ and RoCo.
When the Pelicans got some separation in the first quarter, I thought the magic had run out. The Rockets fought back and stayed close. Same thing again…
— RedNinetyFour (@RedNinetyFour) November 11, 2023
I was very worried about the difficulty of the schedule in the first few months in terms of impacting morale before we could really get going
Well, Rockets got some mini breaks (star injuries) and have taken full advantage. And now they have belief.
Buckle up!
— StanfordKP (@stanfordkp) November 11, 2023
Sengun, for a guy that was a "game time decision" with that ankle sprain, man he sure looked athletic and explosive out there tonight for the #Rockets.
— Chris A. White 🐻 (@fyrebear) November 11, 2023
Houston #Rockets are 1-0 in the WC Group B In-Season Tournament bracket. pic.twitter.com/zNwkepv9HA
— Chris A. White 🐻 (@fyrebear) November 11, 2023
Rockets coach Ime Udoka said it’s “almost more satisfying” to win a close battle like they did tonight than via a blowout. Udoka said while it wasn’t the smartest game the Rockets played, he appreciated the effort that ultimately helped them seal the win late.
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) November 11, 2023
What a game by @alperennsengun
Tonight vs Pelicans
🏀24 PTS🏀11-15 FG🏀8 REB 🏀3 AST🏀2 STL #Rockets open @NBA In-Season Tournament Play with a 104-101 WIN@HoustonRockets on Space City Home Network pic.twitter.com/RTL4mUVpU0— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) November 11, 2023
Alperen Şengün had 24 points on 11 of 15 shooting. He is averaging 19 points on 61.7 % shooting. The last time a Rocket averaged at least 19 points while shooting 60 % or better through the 1st 8 games of a season was Dwight Howard. Before that, Rudy Tomjanovich in 1976-77.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) November 11, 2023
I asked Dillon about Alperen saying they stay on them when the young guys make mistakes
“They’re sponges willing to learn you know they are sick of losing” pic.twitter.com/5mRnpzytFx
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) November 11, 2023
Houston is now +15.8 net rating with Alperen Sengun on the court. He is 96th percentile.
— Nathan Fogg (@NathanFogg1) November 11, 2023
THAT
WAS
FUNWE
ARE
WINNINGLFG
— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) November 11, 2023
Dillon Brooks said his goal was to make Houston a tough place to play — and it’s happening. The fight, the connectivity, the toughness, it’s all there. The Rockets have won five in a row and more importantly, they’re closing games out defensively.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) November 11, 2023
What a win for the Rockets. No need for analytics. VanVleet was the difference between winning and losing. That’s why they brought him here, and he has delivered. https://t.co/mzWGPRkIYI
— Jerome Solomon (@JeromeSolomon) November 11, 2023
Fred VanVleet put the #Rockets on his back down the stretch, and appropriately, the number on the back of his jersey (5) now matches the team’s winning streak. What a win.
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) November 11, 2023
The last time the Houston Rockets won a basketball game like that, the world was on a lockdown.
Ime Udoka has the Rockets HOOPING.
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) November 11, 2023
My favorite play of the game was when Dillon Brooks got tangled up with Valanciunas in that fight for the loose ball. I'm not sure we've had someone that was actually full-sized (meaning not Pat Beverley) do that kind of stuff since Ron Artest. He's basically the modern Ron…
— RedNinetyFour (@RedNinetyFour) November 11, 2023
