HOUSTON -- Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum each added 26 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Houston Rockets 117-107 on Sunday night.
McCollum had 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting in the first half as the Pelicans built a 64-44 halftime lead.
Jonas Valanciunas had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Trey Murphy III had 14 points and Herbert Jones scored 13 for the Pelicans, which shot 49%, including 13 of 31 on 3's.
New Orleans closed the gap to a ½-game behind Utah for the final spot in the play in tournament with 11 games left.
The Pelicans outscored Houston 52-34 in the paint.
Jalen Green scored 40 points, his fourth game scoring at least 40 points this season, Kevin Porter Jr. added 25 and Tari Eason had 10 points for Houston, which saw its season-high three-game winning streak snapped.
The Rockets shot 41% and were 9 of 33 on 3-pointers. Houston has the worst record in the West at 18-53.
New Orleans used an 18-6 spurt over the final minute of the first quarter and opening five minutes of the second quarter to open up a 51-34 lead on a 3-pointer by McCollum with 6:50 left in the first half. McCollum had nine points in the run.
Houston would get no closer than seven the rest of the way.
TIP-INS
New Orleans: The Pelicans dished out 28 assists on 42 made field goals. ... Valanciunas was whistled for three defensive 3-second violations.
Houston: The Rockets were 36 of 38 from the free throw line. ... Green and Porter combined to shoot 18 of 37 from the field, while the rest of the team was a combined 13 of 39 from the floor.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host San Antonio on Tuesday.
Rockets: Host Golden State on Monday to close out its six-game homestand.
NEW YORK -- Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in his 28th triple-double of the season, Michael Porter Jr. had 28 points and nine rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets 108-102 on Sunday.
Jamal Murray scored 20 of his 25 points in the first quarter for the Nuggets, who looked nothing like the slumping team that had dropped five of six. Denver shot 62.5% in the first half and led comfortably most of the game while playing for the second straight afternoon.
Mikal Bridges scored 23 points and Nic Claxton had 19 for the Nets, who have lost three straight as they try to hold onto a top-six seed and a guaranteed postseason spot in the Eastern Conference.
THUNDER 124, SUNS 120
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points, and Oklahoma City has won four of five as they try to earn at least a play-in spot.
Luguentz Dort added 20 points for the Thunder, which has missed the playoffs the past two years.
Devin Booker scored 46 points and Chris Paul added 14 points and 13 assists for the Suns.
HEAT 112, PISTONS 100
DETROIT -- Tyler Herro scored 10 of his 19 points in the final 3:20 and Miami won for the third time in four games.
Jimmy Butler had 26 points and 10 assists and Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat.
James Wiseman led the Pistons with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Killian Hayes put up 13 points and 11 assists. Detroit has lost 14 of its last 15 games.
Detroit's Jalen Duren and Miami's Kevin Love left the game in the third quarter after banging heads under the basket. Love received four stitches and could have returned, but Duren was being evaluated for a brain injury after feeling "woozy."
SPURS 126, HAWKS 118
SAN ANTONIO -- Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell had 29 points each and San Antonio rallied from a 24-point deficit to spoil Dejounte Murray's homecoming.
Murray had 22 points, eight assists and six rebounds in his first game in San Antonio since being traded to Atlanta in the offseason.
Zach Collins added 19 points for the Spurs, who snapped a two-game skid.
Onyeka Okongwu had 17 points and Clint Capela had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks.
New Orleans Pelicans' Brandon Ingram (14) drives toward the basket as Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Houston. The Pelicans won 117-107. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
New Orleans Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas (17) is fouled by Houston Rockets' Alperen Sengun (28) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Houston. The Pelicans won 117-107. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
New Orleans Pelicans' Herbert Jones (5) dunks the ball as Houston Rockets' Alperen Sengun watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Houston. The Pelicans won 117-107. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
New Orleans Pelicans' Brandon Ingram (14) goes up for a shot as Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. (1) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Houston. The Pelicans won 117-107. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
New Orleans Pelicans' CJ McCollum (3) drives around Houston Rockets' Tari Eason (17) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Houston. The Pelicans won 117-107. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
New Orleans Pelicans' CJ McCollum (3) shoots as Houston Rockets' Alperen Sengun (28) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Houston. The Pelicans won 117-107. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Rockets' Kevin Porter Jr., right, is fouled by New Orleans Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas (17) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Houston. The Pelicans won 117-107. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)