Brandon Ingram's 33 points power Pelicans past Rockets / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Credit Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Ingram scored 33 points and had 12 assists as the New Orleans Pelicans rode a third-quarter surge to a 120-107 road win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Player of the Game EFF 33 Brandon Ingram Points 33 Accuracy 12-21 Rebounds 3 Assists 12

Jaxson Hayes came off the bench to contribute 21 points and seven rebounds to help the Pelicans to their third consecutive victory, their longest winning streak since a four-game run from Dec. 15-23. Ingram fueled a 22-point turnaround in the third quarter, when New Orleans rallied from a 60-49 deficit and finished with an 86-75 lead when he assisted on Jose Alvarado's 3-pointer with 41.2 seconds left in the period, capping a 15-5 burst.

Houston closed within four points early in the fourth quarter on back-to-back 3-pointers by Garrison Mathews, but Hayes made a three-point play and hit a layup to help the Pelicans reclaim control and take a 92-83 lead.

Josh Hart contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Pelicans, who shot 53.2 percent from the floor. Hayes, who shot 9-for-9 Friday in Denver, finished 8-for-10 with one 3-pointer. Ingram scored 17 points in the third quarter, including eight in a row during a 13-0 run.

Christian Wood led the Rockets with 22 points and eight rebounds. Jalen Green and Mathews scored 18 apiece, and Josh Christopher (12) and KJ Martin (nine) combined for 21 off the bench.

Hayes converted back-to-back Houston turnovers into dunks to help the Pelicans take an early 15-11 lead. Hayes poured in 13 first-quarter points, half of New Orleans' total, in just 10 minutes, but the Rockets found a counter to Hayes' scoring in their reserves. Christopher, Martin and Mathews combined for 21 first-half points, with 20 of those points coming in the second period.

Martin threw down a trio of vicious dunks to fuel the Rockets, the third giving Houston a 33-31 lead. The remainder of the second quarter saw four ties, three lead changes and neither team leading by more than five points. Houston closed the half with a 9-2 run capped by Wood's tip-in with 0.6 seconds remaining for a 54-49 lead. The Rockets ran off the first six points of the third quarter to go up by 11 before Ingram and the Pelicans came alive.

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