A look at three key numbers related to Monday’s game at the Smoothie King Center between Houston and New Orleans (7 p.m., Fox Sports New Orleans, WRNO 99.5 FM):
8, 14: Rank in pace among the 30 NBA teams (as measured by possessions per 48 minutes, via NBA.com) for Houston and New Orleans, respectively. The Rockets are averaging 99.13 possessions a game, while the Pelicans are at 98.25, a number that has dipped somewhat from early in the season. However, despite playing at a more deliberate pace recently, New Orleans has increased its productivity at the offense end, moving into NBA.