Aaron Holiday's 1.8-second floater snapped a 130-128 win for the Rockets over the Pelicans in a back-and-forth preseason thriller. Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 26 points in 22 minutes, while Amen Thompson and Tari Eason added 21 and 20 to fuel a dynamic Houston trio. Houston showed depth and late-game poise as they head to Atlanta for the finale before opening the season in Oklahoma City.

New Orleans forged a late rally behind Jeremiah Fears (20) and a balanced group with eight players in double figures, but a late miss by Fears and a technical on Jose Alvarado sealed the result. The box score reflected a competitive showcase with heavy minutes and a taste of how the teams might navigate rotations this season.

Houston’s title bid encounters a major obstacle as Fred VanVleet’s season-ending ACL tear shifts the offense into a by-committee rhythm led by Kevin Durant. Durant remain a focal point, but the Rockets must lean on Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun to initiate and organize play. Depth behind the star trio is tested, with defensive versatility and ball-handling risk as the team recalibrates around Durant’s gravity.

Houston eyes internal development and midseason shuffles rather than quick fixes, hoping Durant’s scoring while others grow into initiators can sustain a competitive West run. The organization could pursue a disabled-player exception, but cap constraints and trade-fuelled openings are tight. Fantasy angles now hinge on how quickly Thompson, Sheppard and Sengun lock in roles and how the defense absorbs VanVleet’s absence.