Their ‘juice’ back, Rockets out to keep Pelicans reeling

The Houston Rockets were in no position to take the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves lightly on Friday, even with Anthony Edwards unavailable while managing a lingering foot injury.

The Rockets needed every bit of their usual blend of efficient offense and defensive tenacity to outlast the Timberwolves 110-105 and secure their second win of a five-game homestand that continues on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

After surrendering 34 points in the opening quarter, the Rockets locked in defensively and kept Minnesota in relative check. It marked a return to the defensive identity that yielded a surprising rise up the Western Conference standings last season.

"It just felt good to guard again, get on the floor again," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. "It felt like that juice and energy were back for the first time in a while.

"It felt like we were on the floor five, six, seven times. That's been missing for a little bit, the 50-50 balls. Good to see that energy and juice come back."

In addition to their defensive pluck against the Timberwolves, the Rockets made headway with their perimeter shooting. Before knocking down 42.9% of their 3-pointers on Friday, the Rockets were mired in a lengthy slump from behind the arc, shooting 24.6% from deep over the previous seven games. Relatedly, the Rockets finished 2-5 during that stretch.

Kevin Durant and Reed Sheppard combined to shoot 10 for 14 on 3-pointers against Minnesota, with Sheppard providing an early boost with a 3-for-3 showing in the first quarter before Durant made half of his four 3-point attempts in the final period to carry the Rockets down the stretch.

Houston's recent shooting struggles contrasted to its early success from deep, and the team still sits tied for sixth in the NBA at 37% from distance. The Rockets remain a confident bunch, with extended slumps doing little to steer them away from their usual processes.

"Anytime the ball goes in the game's a lot easier, it's a lot more fun," Sheppard said. "But the last thing I'm worried about with this group is the shooting ability. We've been in the gym a lot, and I've seen these guys shoot. Everyone on the team can shoot extremely well.

"That's basketball sometimes. You're going to make and miss shots. Unfortunately, we've been missing a lot, but I've got no doubt that will turn, and we'll get on a roll."

The Pelicans' 127-119 road loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday marked their third defeat in four games and dropped New Orleans to 2-12 over its last 14 games.

At first glance, it was a confounding result. The Pelicans shot 50% overall, including 41.9% from behind the arc. New Orleans finished 24 of 30 from the free-throw line, committed only nine turnovers and essentially played the Pacers to a standstill on the boards.

However, the Pelicans surrendered 66 points in the paint and finished with a minus-19 differential on shot attempts. The little details continue to plague the Pelicans, with a consistent approach to communication atop that list.

"Inconsistent," Pelicans coach James Borrego said. "Just got to be better in our communication, effort, physicality."