Final
Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks
135 – 117
2026-27 · Preseason · Preseason
Game state source: whynba · Retrieved Oct 9, 7:44 pm EDTHouston Rockets at New Orleans Pelicans
2025-26 · Regular season · All results that day · Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans head-to-head · Houston Rockets schedule · New Orleans Pelicans schedule
Final · overtime
Away
Houston Rockets
128
Home
New Orleans Pelicans
133
Venue: Smoothie King Center
Schedule source: whynba · Observed Oct 9, 2026, 06:29 UTC.
Game recap
The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Houston Rockets 133-128 in overtime at home on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at Smoothie King Center. Saddiq Bey had 29 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist for the New Orleans Pelicans. Kevin Durant had 32 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists for the Houston Rockets.
The New Orleans Pelicans trailed 67-45 at halftime and came back to win. Their best stretch was the fourth quarter, won 36-20. Double-digit figures in two or more categories: Derik Queen (double-double, New Orleans Pelicans), Alperen Sengun (double-double, Houston Rockets), Jabari Smith Jr. (double-double, Houston Rockets). Bench points: Houston Rockets 23, New Orleans Pelicans 34. Trey Murphy III had 27 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in support for the winners.
Written by the whynba data desk from the licensed final box score and period scores.
Score source: whynba · Retrieved Oct 9, 2026, 06:29:14 UTC. Source update time is unavailable.
Controls this game's status, scores and reported player statistics only. Other page sections may still update. Pausing lasts until you resume or reload.
Reported player statistics
this may be a partial box score. A dash means unavailable. Zero minutes alone does not establish a DNP designation.
| Player | Team | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | +/− | Retrieved (UTC) |
|---|
Quick answers
- Who won Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans?
- The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Houston Rockets 133-128 in overtime on December 18, 2025.
- Who led the scoring?
- Kevin Durant scored 32 for the Houston Rockets; Saddiq Bey scored 29 for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Match dossier
Inside the game
Box score
| Team | q1 | q2 | q3 | q4 | ot | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Rockets | 33 | 34 | 32 | 20 | 9 | 128 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 24 | 21 | 38 | 36 | 14 | 133 |
Game leaders
Houston Rockets
- Points
- 32 Kevin Durant
- Rebounds
- 12 Jabari Smith Jr.
- Assists
- 8 Alperen Sengun
New Orleans Pelicans
- Points
- 29 Saddiq Bey
- Rebounds
- 12 Derik Queen
- Assists
- 6 Jose Alvarado
Jabari Smith Jr. double-double (12 PTS, 12 REB) · Alperen Sengun double-double (28 PTS, 11 REB) · Derik Queen double-double (16 PTS, 12 REB)
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3P | FT | PF | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jabari Smith Jr. starter | 44:08 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5-18 | 1-6 | 1-2 | 4 | -5 |
| Kevin Durant starter | 42:41 | 32 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 12-15 | 4-6 | 4-4 | 2 | -7 |
| Amen Thompson starter | 40:36 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 11-14 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 2 | -9 |
| Alperen Sengun starter | 35:42 | 28 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11-26 | 0-4 | 6-10 | 5 | -5 |
| Josh Okogie starter | 30:10 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3-7 | 1-2 | 3-3 | 1 | +2 |
| Steven Adams bench | 27:49 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2-10 | 0-0 | 2-5 | 3 | +3 |
| Reed Sheppard bench | 26:57 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4-12 | 3-10 | 0-0 | 1 | +3 |
| Aaron Holiday bench | 10:18 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2 | -9 |
| Clint Capela bench | 6:40 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 1 | +2 |
Not available: Dorian Finney-Smith, Fred VanVleet, Tari Eason
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3P | FT | PF | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Murphy III starter | 38:29 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9-13 | 2-2 | 7-7 | 2 | +0 |
| Herbert Jones starter | 38:13 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 7-14 | 2-6 | 2-2 | 6 | +19 |
| Derik Queen starter | 35:21 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7-16 | 0-2 | 2-3 | 4 | +18 |
| Saddiq Bey starter | 34:19 | 29 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11-18 | 3-5 | 4-4 | 0 | +21 |
| Jeremiah Fears starter | 20:12 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4-8 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 0 | +5 |
| Jose Alvarado bench | 30:22 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2-5 | 1-3 | 2-3 | 3 | +3 |
| Jordan Poole bench | 24:32 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5-13 | 2-7 | 3-3 | 2 | -7 |
| Zion Williamson bench | 21:26 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3-9 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 3 | -17 |
| Karlo Matkovic bench | 11:07 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 | -5 |
| Yves Missi bench | 6:24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | -8 |
| Bryce McGowens bench | 4:35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | -4 |
Not available: Dejounte Murray
| Houston Rockets | Stat | New Orleans Pelicans |
|---|---|---|
| 18/27 (66%) | Free throws | 24/28 (85%) |
| 40/75 (53%) | 2 pointers | 38/70 (54%) |
| 10/32 (31%) | 3 pointers | 11/27 (40%) |
| 50/107 (46%) | Field goals | 49/97 (50%) |
| 58 | Rebounds | 41 |
| 33 | Defensive rebounds | 28 |
| 25 | Offensive rebounds | 13 |
| 30 | Assists | 27 |
| 18 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 6 | Steals | 15 |
| 8 | Blocks | 7 |
| 21 | Fouls | 24 |
| 13 | Max points in a row | 11 |
| 43:30 | Time spent in lead | 6:24 |
| 25 | Biggest lead | 6 |
Largest margin: 25 points.
Game flow
- Lead changes
- 4
- Times tied
- 6
- Largest lead · Houston Rockets
- 25 Q3 11:02
- Largest lead · New Orleans Pelicans
- 6 Q1 8:15
- Longest run
- 13-0 Houston Rockets · Q1 7:49 to Q1 5:15
Scoring plays
Q1 · 27 scoring plays
| Time left | Team | Play | Houston Rockets | New Orleans Pelicans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:47 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 0 | 2 |
| 11:11 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 2-pt field goal | 2 | 2 |
| 10:42 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 4 | 2 |
| 10:24 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 3-pt field goal | 4 | 5 |
| 9:56 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III Free throw | 4 | 6 |
| 9:56 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III Free throw | 4 | 7 |
| 9:24 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 3-pt field goal | 7 | 7 |
| 9:18 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 3-pt field goal | 7 | 10 |
| 8:59 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 7 | 12 |
| 8:42 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 9 | 12 |
| 8:15 | New Orleans Pelicans | Herbert Jones 3-pt field goal | 9 | 15 |
| 7:49 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 3-pt field goal | 12 | 15 |
| 6:52 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 14 | 15 |
| 6:33 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 16 | 15 |
| 5:41 | Houston Rockets | Reed Sheppard 3-pt field goal | 19 | 15 |
| 5:15 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 3-pt field goal | 22 | 15 |
| 4:54 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 22 | 17 |
| 4:54 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III Free throw | 22 | 18 |
| 4:38 | Houston Rockets | Steven Adams 2-pt field goal | 24 | 18 |
| 4:38 | Houston Rockets | Steven Adams Free throw | 25 | 18 |
| 4:20 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 25 | 20 |
| 4:04 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 2-pt field goal | 27 | 20 |
| 3:37 | Houston Rockets | Steven Adams 2-pt field goal | 29 | 20 |
| 1:54 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 29 | 22 |
| 1:36 | Houston Rockets | Jabari Smith Jr. 2-pt field goal | 31 | 22 |
| 0:48 | Houston Rockets | Jabari Smith Jr. 2-pt field goal | 33 | 22 |
| 0:30 | New Orleans Pelicans | Herbert Jones 2-pt field goal | 33 | 24 |
Q2 · 29 scoring plays
| Time left | Team | Play | Houston Rockets | New Orleans Pelicans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:41 | Houston Rockets | Aaron Holiday 3-pt field goal | 36 | 24 |
| 10:44 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 38 | 24 |
| 10:29 | New Orleans Pelicans | Karlo Matkovic 3-pt field goal | 38 | 27 |
| 10:16 | Houston Rockets | Clint Capela 2-pt field goal | 40 | 27 |
| 9:35 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 3-pt field goal | 43 | 27 |
| 9:03 | Houston Rockets | Clint Capela Free throw | 44 | 27 |
| 8:47 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 44 | 29 |
| 8:14 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 2-pt field goal | 46 | 29 |
| 8:03 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears 2-pt field goal | 46 | 31 |
| 7:12 | Houston Rockets | Reed Sheppard 3-pt field goal | 49 | 31 |
| 6:34 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 51 | 31 |
| 6:29 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 51 | 32 |
| 6:29 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 51 | 33 |
| 5:54 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 51 | 35 |
| 4:49 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 53 | 35 |
| 4:33 | Houston Rockets | Jabari Smith Jr. 2-pt field goal | 55 | 35 |
| 4:23 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 55 | 37 |
| 3:57 | Houston Rockets | Josh Okogie Free throw | 56 | 37 |
| 3:57 | Houston Rockets | Josh Okogie Free throw | 57 | 37 |
| 3:46 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 57 | 39 |
| 3:23 | Houston Rockets | Josh Okogie 3-pt field goal | 60 | 39 |
| 2:59 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 62 | 39 |
| 2:36 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 3-pt field goal | 62 | 42 |
| 2:16 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun Free throw | 63 | 42 |
| 2:16 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun Free throw | 64 | 42 |
| 1:24 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 64 | 43 |
| 1:07 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Poole 2-pt field goal | 64 | 45 |
| 0:18 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 66 | 45 |
| 0:18 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson Free throw | 67 | 45 |
Q3 · 38 scoring plays
| Time left | Team | Play | Houston Rockets | New Orleans Pelicans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:40 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 69 | 45 |
| 11:23 | New Orleans Pelicans | Herbert Jones Free throw | 69 | 46 |
| 11:23 | New Orleans Pelicans | Herbert Jones Free throw | 69 | 47 |
| 11:02 | Houston Rockets | Jabari Smith Jr. 3-pt field goal | 72 | 47 |
| 10:49 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 72 | 49 |
| 10:24 | New Orleans Pelicans | Herbert Jones 2-pt field goal | 72 | 51 |
| 10:06 | Houston Rockets | Josh Okogie 2-pt field goal | 74 | 51 |
| 9:48 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 74 | 53 |
| 9:31 | Houston Rockets | Jabari Smith Jr. Free throw | 75 | 53 |
| 9:12 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 77 | 53 |
| 9:05 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears 2-pt field goal | 77 | 55 |
| 8:41 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears 2-pt field goal | 77 | 57 |
| 8:20 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 3-pt field goal | 77 | 60 |
| 8:04 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 79 | 60 |
| 7:50 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 81 | 60 |
| 7:37 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey Free throw | 81 | 61 |
| 7:37 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey Free throw | 81 | 62 |
| 7:25 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 83 | 62 |
| 7:07 | New Orleans Pelicans | Herbert Jones 3-pt field goal | 83 | 65 |
| 6:05 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun Free throw | 84 | 65 |
| 6:05 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun Free throw | 85 | 65 |
| 5:42 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Poole 2-pt field goal | 85 | 67 |
| 5:09 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears 2-pt field goal | 85 | 69 |
| 4:56 | Houston Rockets | Reed Sheppard 2-pt field goal | 87 | 69 |
| 4:19 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 87 | 71 |
| 4:05 | Houston Rockets | Josh Okogie 2-pt field goal | 89 | 71 |
| 4:05 | Houston Rockets | Josh Okogie Free throw | 90 | 71 |
| 3:49 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Poole 2-pt field goal | 90 | 73 |
| 3:04 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 92 | 73 |
| 2:49 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 92 | 75 |
| 2:10 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears Free throw | 92 | 76 |
| 1:23 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 94 | 76 |
| 1:03 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Poole 3-pt field goal | 94 | 79 |
| 1:03 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Poole Free throw | 94 | 80 |
| 0:45 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun Free throw | 95 | 80 |
| 0:45 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun Free throw | 96 | 80 |
| 0:40 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jose Alvarado 3-pt field goal | 96 | 83 |
| 0:03 | Houston Rockets | Reed Sheppard 3-pt field goal | 99 | 83 |
Q4 · 32 scoring plays
| Time left | Team | Play | Houston Rockets | New Orleans Pelicans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:42 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jose Alvarado 2-pt field goal | 99 | 85 |
| 11:17 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 2-pt field goal | 101 | 85 |
| 11:04 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 101 | 87 |
| 10:45 | New Orleans Pelicans | Herbert Jones 2-pt field goal | 101 | 89 |
| 10:21 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Poole 3-pt field goal | 101 | 92 |
| 9:44 | New Orleans Pelicans | Herbert Jones 2-pt field goal | 101 | 94 |
| 9:22 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 101 | 96 |
| 8:56 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 2-pt field goal | 103 | 96 |
| 8:56 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant Free throw | 104 | 96 |
| 8:11 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jose Alvarado Free throw | 104 | 97 |
| 8:11 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jose Alvarado Free throw | 104 | 98 |
| 7:40 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 104 | 100 |
| 7:24 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 106 | 100 |
| 7:02 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 106 | 102 |
| 6:45 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 108 | 102 |
| 6:33 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 108 | 104 |
| 6:20 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 110 | 104 |
| 5:28 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III Free throw | 110 | 105 |
| 5:28 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III Free throw | 110 | 106 |
| 5:16 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 2-pt field goal | 112 | 106 |
| 4:24 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 112 | 108 |
| 4:08 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 2-pt field goal | 114 | 108 |
| 3:45 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 114 | 110 |
| 3:11 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 3-pt field goal | 114 | 113 |
| 1:47 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 116 | 113 |
| 1:34 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III Free throw | 116 | 114 |
| 1:34 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III Free throw | 116 | 115 |
| 1:05 | Houston Rockets | Steven Adams Free throw | 117 | 115 |
| 0:31 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 117 | 117 |
| 0:14 | Houston Rockets | Amen Thompson 2-pt field goal | 119 | 117 |
| 0:10 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen Free throw | 119 | 118 |
| 0:10 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen Free throw | 119 | 119 |
OT1 · 15 scoring plays
| Time left | Team | Play | Houston Rockets | New Orleans Pelicans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:40 | Houston Rockets | Alperen Sengun 2-pt field goal | 121 | 119 |
| 4:17 | New Orleans Pelicans | Herbert Jones 2-pt field goal | 121 | 121 |
| 4:02 | Houston Rockets | Jabari Smith Jr. 2-pt field goal | 123 | 121 |
| 3:19 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 123 | 123 |
| 2:03 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 123 | 125 |
| 0:59 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 123 | 127 |
| 0:52 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant 2-pt field goal | 125 | 127 |
| 0:30 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 125 | 129 |
| 0:21 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant Free throw | 128 | 129 |
| 0:21 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant Free throw | 128 | 129 |
| 0:21 | Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant Free throw | 128 | 129 |
| 0:13 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Poole Free throw | 128 | 130 |
| 0:13 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Poole Free throw | 128 | 131 |
| 0:03 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey Free throw | 128 | 132 |
| 0:03 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey Free throw | 128 | 133 |
2025-26 season series
After this game: New Orleans Pelicans 1-0. Final series: Houston Rockets 3-1.
- Dec 18: Houston Rockets 128 at New Orleans Pelicans 133 (this game)
- Jan 18: New Orleans Pelicans 110 at Houston Rockets 119
- Mar 13: New Orleans Pelicans 105 at Houston Rockets 107
- Mar 29: Houston Rockets 134 at New Orleans Pelicans 102
Highlights
Game statistics · retrieved Oct 9, 2026 02:29.
Tipoff and venue can change. Game times: Eastern Time.
Tipoff in UTC
Dec 19, 2025 · 01:00 UTC