The Houston Rockets have struggled since the All-Star break.
Conversely, the New Orleans Pelicans have improved since the break.
The two Southwest Division rivals will play a home-and-home set of games over three days beginning Thursday night in New Orleans.
The Rockets are still in a good spot at No. 5 in the Western Conference, but they are just 3-4 since the break and have lost their last three games. In addition, they have lost their eight road games.
Houston’s last road victory came against Atlanta on Jan. 28. They have lost 11 of 16 overall since then.
Head coach Ime Udoka was displeased with his team’s first-half effort in a 115-102 loss at Indiana on Tuesday. The Rockets trailed 67-57 at halftime.
“It’s hard to win when you give up 67 in the first half and play uninspired and lack physicality and are throwing the ball all over the gym and don’t look like we care at times,” Udoka said.
Houston did fight back from a 17-point deficit and took the lead briefly in the fourth quarter.
“That one hurts because you do all that work to get back into it and go 13 for 26 from the free throw line and miss about five point blank layups,” Udoka said. “I care more about the fight, effort and competitiveness from the start to avoid getting in that hole.”
The Rockets’ comeback was spurred by a lineup featuring Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, both of whom are 6-foot-11. Houston had a 58-35 advantage in rebounding.
Strong rebounding has been an important element in New Orleans going 4-3 since the break. But that wasn’t the case Tuesday night when the Lakers outrebounded the visiting Pelicans 51-35 in L.A.’s 136-115 victory.
Still, New Orleans had a good road trip, splitting four games for its only road wins since a Jan. 14 victory in Chicago.
Zion Williamson continued to play at an elite level as the Pelicans limit his minutes in the wake of a hamstring injury that sidelined him for 27 consecutive games earlier in the season.
He has played 30 minutes just once in his 18 games since returning. In his last 10, he has averaged 27.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and shot 65.5 percent from the floor. He had 37 points in 26 minutes against the Lakers, making 17 of 23 shots.
“He’s playing with speed, playing with force, getting to the lane, kick outs, rebounding,” head coach Willie Green said of Williamson.
Williamson attributed his surge to a greater commitment to film study, better preparing himself for how each opponent is likely to run double teams at him.
Williamson’s success inside has created perimeter opportunities for his teammates and second-year guard Jordan Hawkins is among those taking advantage. Hawkins has scored in double figures in five of the last six games, averaging 13.5 in that stretch, raising his season average to 10.9.
“He’s playing more consistent where he has more consistent minutes, he knows what his role is,” Green said of Hawkins. “This is part of his growth. We want to see him continue to build momentum, continue to develop good habits.”
