Houston @ New Orleans preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 11, 2019 ) Houston 122, New Orleans 116

The New Orleans Pelicans are suddenly hot and are enjoying their first three-game winning streak in over a month after knocking off the Indiana Pacers 120-98 at home on Saturday. The Pelicans will try to sweep the two-game homestand and win four straight for the first time in 2019-20 when they host the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

New Orleans was creeping toward the worst record in the NBA after falling to 6-22 with a home loss to Brooklyn on Dec. 17 but has since won four of five and is starting to knock off teams with winning records. The Pelicans finished off a four-game road trip by earning a 112-100 win on Christmas Day at the Denver Nuggets and were even better in the return home on Saturday, outscoring the Pacers 101-66 after the first quarter and holding them to 38.8 percent shooting in the victory. That defense will have to find an answer for Rockets star James Harden, who bounced back from a one-game downturn in scoring by breezing to 44 points on 17-of-27 shooting in a 108-98 triumph over the Nets on Saturday. The Golden State Warriors managed to bottle up the NBA's leading scoring on Christmas Day, but Harden found a way to control the action against Brooklyn, getting to the free-throw line nine times and adding 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), FS New Orleans

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (21-10): Harden shot 50 percent or better from the floor in each of the last five games and is 12-of-20 from beyond the arc over the last two contests as Houston tries to track down another double-digit win month. The Rockets are 9-4 in December with games against New Orleans and Denver still to come and have not dropped back-to-back games since before Thanksgiving. Point guard Russell Westbrook is averaging 27 points this month but is struggling from the outside and is 0-of-10 from beyond the arc in the last two games.

ABOUT THE PELICANS (10-23): New Orleans still ranks among the worst teams in the West in scoring defense, allowing an average of 116.6 points, but is making great strides on that end of the floor and lowered that number to 99.4 points over the last five contests. That stretch coincides with a return to form from power forward Derrick Favors, who hauled in double-digit rebounds in each of the last five contests and posted a double-double in three of those games. Carrying the weight on the offensive end continues to be small forward Brandon Ingram, who is averaging 26.6 points over the last five games and collected 24 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals in Saturday's triumph.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pelicans SG Jrue Holiday scored 20 or more points in each of the last four games.

2. Rockets C Clint Capela (heel) sat out Saturday and is day-to-day.

3. Houston took each of the first two meetings, including a 122-116 triumph at New Orleans on Nov. 11.

PREDICTION: Rockets 125, Pelicans 118