National Basketball Association

Rockets fall in Howard's debut

Published Oct. 5, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Anthony Morrow scored 26 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat Houston 116-115 on Saturday night in Dwight Howard's exhibition debut for the Rockets.

Howard had 19 points and nine rebounds in his first game since signing a four-year, $88 million deal with the Rockets in the offseason.

Howard was 6 of 11 from the field and 7 of 11 from the free-throw line in 27 minutes. He also had a technical foul in the third quarter for arguing a defensive 3-second violation.

Morrow was 3 of 6 from 3-point range and 8 of 15 overall from the field in 33 minutes. Anthony Davis added 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting in 27 minutes, and Austin Rivers also had 21 points in 32 minutes.

James Harden scored 21 points for the Rockets in 28 minutes. Omni Casspi added 20 points 9-of-10 shooting,

Terrence Jones had 13, and Patrick Beverley 12. Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons each had 11 points.

New Orleans lost guard Tyreke Evans in the second quarter with a left ankle injury. Evans had X-rays on his left ankle, which came back negative, and he did not return.

Evans hit an off-balance jumper in the lane and appeared to land on a defender's foot, rolling his ankle.

Evans, who came to the Pelicans from Sacramento in the offseason as part of a three-team trade that sent Robin Lopez to Portland and Greivis Vasquez to the Kings, had seven points on 3-of-5 shooting in 10 minutes.