HOUSTON — Jabari Smith Jr. led his team to a 119-110 (stat) victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday in the fourth of a five-game homestand at Toyota Center.
With the win, Houston improves its record to 25-15 and remains in fifth place in the tight Western Conference standings. New Orleans (10-35) is in last place.
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Smith scored a season-high 32 points and 8 rebounds, making 11 of 21 shots (52.4%), including 7 of 13 three-pointers (53.8%).
Amen Thompson had 20 points (71.4% shooting), 8 rebounds and 6 assists, while Alperon Sengun (60.0% shooting) had 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists.
The performance of these young players helped the Rockets overcome an unusually ineffective night from veteran Kevin Durant. Durant made 5 of 18 shots (27.8%) and 1 of 8 three-pointers (12.5%) for 18 points and 8 assists.
Durant did make 7 of 8 free throws, the last two of which allowed him to surpass Dirk Nowitzki and move into sixth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Zion Williamson scored a Pelicans-high 20 points (52.9% shooting), 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
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Unfortunately, the win came at a cost to the Rockets, who lost veteran center Steven Adams (10 rebounds in 27 minutes) to a sprained ankle midway through the second half. Head coach Ime Udoka said after the game that the swelling was present and a return timetable was unclear.
The Rockets’ next game is Tuesday’s home finale against the San Antonio Spurs, an in-state rival currently ranked second in the Western Conference standings (29-13).
The game will begin at 7:00 PM Central Time and will be televised regionally on the Space City Home Network and to a national audience on NBC and Peacock.
The Rockets are 14-3 at Toyota Center this season.
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More: Rockets emerge from historic 3-point shooting slump led by Kevin Durant
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Jabari Smith Jr. scores season-high 32 points, Rockets improve to 25-15