Rockets (25-22), Pelicans (16-28)
Just when New Orleans was playing its best basketball of the season, the basketball gods intervened in harsh fashion Monday, with two-time Pelicans All-Star forward Anthony Davis exiting the game due to a concussion. Behind big efforts from an array of players, the Pelicans nearly overcame Davis’ injury departure, but ultimately lost a one-point heartbreaker to the Rockets. Three New Orleans reserves delivered significant contributions to help compensate without Davis (19 minutes), but it wasn’t enough as the Pelicans saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Houston connected on 19 of its 39 three-point attempts and built a lead of as many as 16 points, then hung on in the fourth quarter.