Timberwolves117
76ers93
Grizzlies123Houston Rockets @ New Orleans Pelicans: Dec 18, 2025
Rockets vs Pelicans final: the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Houston Rockets 133-128 in overtime on December 18, 2025 at Smoothie King Center, New Orleans.
Score by Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockets | 33 | 34 | 32 | 20 | 9 | 128 |
| Pelicans | 24 | 21 | 38 | 36 | 14 | 133 |
Top Performers
Rockets
- 32 PTS Kevin Durant
- 12 REB Jabari Smith Jr.
- 8 AST Alperen Sengun
Pelicans
- 29 PTS Saddiq Bey
- 12 REB Derik Queen
- 6 AST Jose Alvarado
Rockets vs Pelicans Box Score
Houston Rockets
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Okogie G | 30 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3-7 | 1-2 | 3-3 | +2 |
| Amen Thompson G | 40 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 11-14 | 0-1 | 1-1 | -9 |
| Jabari Smith Jr. F | 44 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5-18 | 1-6 | 1-2 | -5 |
| Kevin Durant F | 42 | 32 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 12-15 | 4-6 | 4-4 | -7 |
| Alperen Sengun C | 35 | 28 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11-26 | 0-4 | 6-10 | -5 |
| Bench | |||||||||||
| Steven Adams C | 27 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2-10 | 0-0 | 2-5 | +3 |
| Aaron Holiday G | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 0-0 | -9 |
| Reed Sheppard G | 26 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4-12 | 3-10 | 0-0 | +3 |
| Clint Capela C | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | +2 |
New Orleans Pelicans
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Murphy III F | 38 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9-13 | 2-2 | 7-7 | 0 |
| Saddiq Bey F | 34 | 29 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11-18 | 3-5 | 4-4 | +21 |
| Derik Queen C | 35 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7-16 | 0-2 | 2-3 | +18 |
| Herbert Jones F | 38 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 7-14 | 2-6 | 2-2 | +19 |
| Jeremiah Fears G | 20 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4-8 | 0-1 | 1-2 | +5 |
| Bench | |||||||||||
| Jose Alvarado G | 30 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2-5 | 1-3 | 2-3 | +3 |
| Jordan Poole G | 24 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5-13 | 2-7 | 3-3 | -7 |
| Yves Missi C | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | -8 |
| Bryce McGowens GF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | -4 |
| Karlo Matkovic FC | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | -5 |
| Zion Williamson F | 21 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3-9 | 0-0 | 3-4 | -17 |
Rockets vs Pelicans Recap
The Pelicans erased a 22-point halftime deficit to beat the Rockets in overtime. New Orleans moved to 6-22, while Houston fell to 16-8.
The Pelicans outscored the Rockets 38-32 in the third quarter and 36-20 in the fourth. Houston led 67-45 at halftime and 99-83 after three. New Orleans made 24 of 28 free throws to Houston's 18 of 27 and turned the ball over 12 times to the Rockets' 18.
Kevin Durant led Houston with 32 points, and Saddiq Bey answered with 29 for the Pelicans. Jabari Smith Jr. and Derik Queen each pulled down 12 rebounds. Houston shot 50 of 107 from the field, while New Orleans shot 49 of 97.
The number to know: 14 points in overtime for the Pelicans, against 9 for the Rockets, after the two teams finished regulation tied at 119.
Team Stats
| Rockets | Stat | Pelicans |
|---|---|---|
| 50-107 | Field Goals | 49-97 |
| 46.7% | FG % | 50.5% |
| 10-32 | 3-Pointers | 11-27 |
| 31.3% | 3P % | 40.7% |
| 18-27 | Free Throws | 24-28 |
| 66.7% | FT % | 85.7% |
| 58 | Rebounds | 41 |
| 25 | Off. Rebounds | 13 |
| 30 | Assists | 27 |
| 6 | Steals | 15 |
| 8 | Blocks | 7 |
| 18 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 21 | Fouls | 24 |
| 25 | Biggest Lead | 6 |
Four Factors
| Team | Effective FG% | Turnover % | Off. rebound % | FT rate (FTM/FGA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rockets | 51.4% | 13.2% | 47.2% | 0.168 |
 Pelicans | 56.2% | 9.9% | 28.3% | 0.247 |
Dean Oliver's four factors decide most games: shooting, turnovers, offensive rebounding and free throws. Better side highlighted.
Rockets vs Pelicans Game Info
- Date & time
- Thursday, December 18, 20258:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT
- TV
- Local TV onlyLocal: Rockets Space City Home Network · Pelicans Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network
- Arena
- Smoothie King CenterNew Orleans
- Season
- 2025-26 NBA SeasonRegular season
Rockets vs Pelicans Season Stats 2025-26
Regular-season averages; rank of 30 teams.
Recent Form & Head-to-Head
Rockets last 5
- L @ Nuggets 125-128 Dec 15, 2025
- W vs Clippers 115-113 Dec 11, 2025
- L @ Mavericks 109-122 Dec 6, 2025
- W vs Suns 117-98 Dec 5, 2025
- W vs Kings 121-95 Dec 3, 2025
Pelicans last 5
- W @ Bulls 114-104 Dec 14, 2025
- W vs Trail Blazers 143-120 Dec 11, 2025
- L vs Spurs 132-135 Dec 8, 2025
- L @ Nets 101-119 Dec 6, 2025
- L vs Timberwolves 116-125 Dec 4, 2025
Previous meetings
- Mar 29, 2026 Rockets @ Pelicans 134-102
- Mar 13, 2026 Pelicans @ Rockets 105-107
- Jan 18, 2026 Pelicans @ Rockets 110-119
More NBA Games on Dec 18, 2025
- Final
New York Knicks0-3114
Indiana Pacers2-1113Top: Nembhard 31 PTSBox score › - Final
Atlanta Hawks2-1126
Charlotte Hornets2-1133Top: Johnson 43 PTS, 11 REB, 9 ASTBox score › - Final
Miami Heat0-3106
Brooklyn Nets0-395Top: Jr. 28 PTSBox score › - Final
Los Angeles Clippers1-2101
Oklahoma City Thunder3-0122Top: Gilgeous-Alexander 32 PTSBox score › - Final
Washington Wizards2-194
San Antonio Spurs1-2119Top: Harper 24 PTSBox score › - Final
Toronto Raptors2-1111
Milwaukee Bucks0-3105Top: Ingram 29 PTSBox score › - Final
Detroit Pistons3-0114
Dallas Mavericks1-2116Top: Cunningham 29 PTS, 10 REB, 9 ASTBox score › - Final
Los Angeles Lakers3-0143
Utah Jazz1-2135Top: Dončić 45 PTS, 11 REB, 14 ASTBox score › - Final
Phoenix Suns1-199Top: Butler 31 PTSBox score › - Final
Orlando Magic1-2115
Denver Nuggets1-1126Top: Murray 32 PTSBox score › - Final
Sacramento Kings0-3133
Portland Trail Blazers2-0134Top: Avdija 35 PTSBox score ›
That covers Rockets vs Pelicans: score, leaders and box score above. Next: Rockets host the Hawks Oct 26; Pelicans host the Nuggets Oct 28.
Rockets vs Pelicans FAQs
Who won Rockets vs Pelicans on Dec 18, 2025?
The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Houston Rockets 133-128 in overtime on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Saddiq Bey led the Pelicans with 29 points.
What are the Rockets and Pelicans records?
After this game the Rockets were 16-8 and the Pelicans were 6-22 this season.
Who was the top scorer in Rockets vs Pelicans?
Kevin Durant scored 32 for the Rockets. Saddiq Bey scored 29 for the Pelicans.
Who leads the Rockets vs Pelicans season series?
The Rockets lead the regular-season series 3-0 this season.
Who won the last Rockets vs Pelicans game?
The Rockets beat the Pelicans 134-102 on Mar 29, 2026 on the road.
Where was Rockets vs Pelicans played?
At Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, the home arena of the New Orleans Pelicans.
What was the score by quarter in Rockets vs Pelicans?
Rockets-Pelicans: Q1 33-24, Q2 34-21, Q3 32-38, Q4 20-36, OT 9-14.
What is next for the Rockets and Pelicans?
Rockets host the Hawks on Monday, October 26 at 8:30 PM ET; Pelicans host the Nuggets on Wednesday, October 28 at 8:00 PM ET.