Houston Rockets Mute New Orleans Pelicans 95-93

The Houston Rockets were back in action tonight with the pressing of yet another wrinkle to the 2014-15 season.

After missing 26 games, Dwight Howard was back in uniform to help his team take on the New Orleans Pelicans — albeit a limited-minute allocation of about four minutes per quarter.

This team certainly needed some good news after all of the bad that has come out as of late.

Terrence Jones is still nursing his lung injury and Patrick Beverley may be out for the season after having a wrist injury inflicted upon against the Indiana Pacers this past Monday.

I was thrilled to find out that he was back because of his ability to clog and shut down the paint when he is present down low.

He looked good as he was snagging rebounds, running full speed back on defense and boxing out with authority in key possessions.

We’ve just had an appetizer of what’s to come and we may have Dr. Walter Lowe, the team’s physician, to thank in terms of providing a heady solution to help heal his beleaguered knee.

Any way, the Rockets let things slip early which had me wondering if it was going to be a long night.

Tyreke Evans and Anthony Davis combined for 21 of their 34 points in the 1st quarter and were the key factor why the Pelicans were up 34-19 at the end of the 1st.

By the time the 2nd quarter rolled around, things got worse for the Rockets as they trailed by as much as 17 points with the score being 40-23 with 9:16 left. This was after a Norris Cole hit a runner.

But then the Rockets went to work to start climbing out of the hole that they dug.

Trevor Ariza, Donatas Motiejunas, Jason Terry and James Harden all worked in concert on both ends to mount a 22-10 run to pull within one point with 24 seconds left in the 2nd quarter. Pelicans 50, Rockets 49

Ariza was absolutely sensational — he had another one of his games where he played on both ends of the floor and it was loudly reminiscent of the style of play he had with the Washington Wizards last season.

We’re finally seeing the Trevor Ariza 2.0 that we hoped for this season!

But it’s almost playoff time and I know he’s pumped up!

Nonetheless, the Rockets trailed by three — 52-49 — at the half after a Dante Cunningham jumper.

The Rockets momentum did not falter right out of the gate of the 2nd half with Ariza keeping the party going with a three-pointer of his own for the Rockets to take the lead for the first time since 11:18 of the 1st quarter when they led 2-1. Rockets 54, Pelicans 52

Coincidentally, those two points were D12’s first since his injury and it was off a bone-rattling dunk that could be heard as far as Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.

Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating but it was great to see him terrorizing the paint once again!

Back to the third quarter, the Rockets continued to stay in control as they led 78-70 at the end of the third.

Ariza already had 20 points to his credit.

More from House of Houston

In the 4th, things were looking like the Rockets were going to hold on but Pelicans got hot again and went on a 7-0 run to pull within two with seven seconds left.

There was a brief scare for Pelicans fans as Davis tweaked his right shoulder off a rebound attempt a few possessions before causing him to come out of the game to head to the locker room.

His stay there was brief as he demanded to go back into the game where he drew that aforementioned foul.

He made his 2nd free throw after missing his first attempt.

On the next possession, the Jet ran a deftly orchestrated play by taking the ball in-bounds in the other direction of their basket, forcing his defenders to hurry and foul him just to stop the clock.

I don’t think they were prepared by that slick veteran trick of his as four seconds were able to tick off the clock before the foul.

Beard was eventually fouled, sending him to the line, making the second attempt not the first to put the Rockets up 95-92.

Then on the next possession, Corey Brewer smartly fouled Eric Gordon quickly sending him to the line with 1.3 seconds left.

Gordon made the first free throw and Kevin McHale quickly inserted D12 in between free throws for defensive/rebounding purposes.

That ploy worked as he boxed out as Cunningham got the rebound to force a desperate shot by Evans to tie the game that missed as time expired. Final Score: Rockets 95, Pelicans 93

What a photo finish!

And for the first time this season, the Rockets beat the Pelicans!

It certainly helped the Rockets have D12 — even for that short span — to compete against their opponent.