Cousins’ first game as Pelican a 30-point loss
NEW ORLEANS — Reserve Lou Williams hit seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points in his Rockets debut after a trade from the Lakers, and Houston crushed New Orleans 129-99 on Thursday night in DeMarcus Cousins’ first game with Anthony Davis.
Davis had 29 points, and Cousins finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds after he was acquired from Sacramento during the break. But New Orleans turned the ball over 20 times couldn’t keep pace with the firepower of the Rockets, who hit 20 3-pointers.
Eric Gordon scored 19 points and Ryan Anderson added 17 in both players’ first game in New Orleans since leaving the Pelicans. James Harden had 13 points and 14 assists.
Houston led by as many as 35 points when Gordon’s free throws made it 10065 late in the third quarter.
• Cavaliers 119, Knicks 104 — At Cleveland: LeBron James recorded his 48th career triple-double and Kyrie Irving scored 23 points, leading Cleveland over New York after the hung on to superstar Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose at the trade deadline.
James scored 18 points and had 13 rebounds with 15 assists for his sixth triple-double of the season.
Anthony, the subject of trade rumors because of a strained relationship with Knicks President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson, scored 20 points, going 9 of 25 from the field.
• Pistons 114, Hornets 108, OT — At Auburn Hills, Mich.: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 33 points, including three 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter during a pulsating Detroit rally, and the Pistons outlasted Charlotte.
Caldwell-Pope scored Detroit’s last 11 points of regulation, and his 3-pointer with 18.2 seconds to play tied the game at 100. Kemba Walker scored Charlotte’s final nine points of the fourth, but the Pistons forced him to give up the ball on the last possession, and Marco Belinelli missed a 3-pointer that could have won it.
Detroit, which was behind by 18 in the third quarter, never trailed in the overtime. Caldwell-Pope’s 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining put the Pistons up 110-102.
• Trail Blazers 112, Magic 103 — At Orlando, Fla.: Damian Lillard scored 33 points, C.J. McCollum added 22 and Portland beat Orlando to snap a three-game losing streak.
After trailing for much of the game, the Trail Blazers rallied in the fourth quarter behind Lillard’s 17 points. Recently acquired center Jusuf Nurkic also had 12 points and 12 rebounds during the much-needed win for the Portland.
The Trail Blazers spoiled Terrence Ross’ debut with the Magic after being traded last week for Serge Ibaka. Ross, who is supposed to added athleticism and a scoring punch, managed just 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting with his new team.