Saddiq Bey scored 29 points, including 21 after halftime, to lead the New Orleans Pelicans (6-22) to a 133-128 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets (16-8) on Thursday at Smoothie King Center.
Trey Murphy added 27 points and Herb Jones contributed 18 points with a career-high eight steals before fouling out as the Pelicans overcame a 25-point, third-quarter deficit, the largest second-half comeback in franchise history.
Houston’s Kevin Durant led all scorers with 32 points, while Alperen Sengun added 28, but missed critical free throws late in regulation that allowed New Orleans to tie the game at 117.
Rookie Derik Queen sparked an 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to five before Bey’s dunk brought the Pelicans within one possession.
In overtime, Jordan Poole’s two free throws gave New Orleans a 131-128 lead with 12 seconds left, and Bey sealed the win with two clutch free throws after grabbing a crucial rebound. Reed Sheppard missed two potential game-tying 3-pointers in the final seconds.
Houston dominated early, with Durant scoring 18 points by halftime as the Rockets led 67-45. New Orleans missed 20 of 29 shots in the paint in the first half but methodically trimmed the deficit to 13 by the end of the third quarter.
The Pelicans have now won three straight games after a difficult 3-22 start to the season, while Houston’s five-game winning streak came to an end. New Orleans shot 51% from the field and 41% from three-point range, capitalizing on Houston’s 25 turnovers.
New Orleans hosts the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, while Houston visits the Denver Nuggets the same day.
