James Harden, Chris Paul, & Eric Gordon didn't get much help from their teammates Friday night in New Orleans. The three guards combined for 88 points, while the rest of the team scored just 25.
The game came down to the very end. Houston was down 3 points with 4 seconds left. Harden got the inbound ball and was fouled near half-court right before a shot attempt. The initial call by the refs was for Harden to shoot 3 free-throws, giving James a shot to tie the game and go to overtime. They then changed their minds and said that it was not a shooting foul, so Harden only shot two. James made the first one, and then in an attempt to miss on purpose to get a quick rebound and a shot, he missed the rim and the ball went out of bounds. The Pelicans won by two points, 115-113.
Chris Paul was Houston's MVP, scoring 38 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal. Paul also went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.
Eric Gordon bounced back after struggling the last couple of games. Gordon finished with 27 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.
James Harden shot 1-for-9 from downtown, but still scored 23 points, dished out 11 assists, with 5 boards, 2 steals, and a block.
DeMarcus Cousins went down late in the 4th quarter and grabbing near his achilles, and the initial fear for the Pelicans is that he tore it. "We're scared about it," Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry said after the game.
This is Houston's first loss with James Harden, Chris Paul, and Clint Capela on the court together. They will be back home Sunday afternoon to take on the Suns.