NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points as Houston Rockets win a close game against New Orleans Pelicans

The Houston Rockets won yet another game in a nail clinching contest against the Anthony Davis led, New Orleans Pelicans. The final scoreline was 108-104 in favor of the Rockets.

This match showcased two of the best players in the league and top MVP candidates Anthony Davis and James Harden and promised a major showdown between the two. But that didn't happen as Anthony Davis failed to show up, while James Harden took away the game from the Pelican's grasp.

With this win, the Rockets have made it clear that they have no intentions of missing out on the playoffs or even fight for a low seed. They showed why they should still be feared and reckoned with. And now they are sitting tight on 5th spot in the Western Conference with a record of 20-15, while the Pelicans are almost on their last breath for a chance to a playoff spot with the 14th seed and they have a record of 16-21.

With all that in mind, here are the top takeaways from the game.

#3 Anthony Davis fails to show up

Anthony Davis is everything the Pelicans have. He is their lone superstar and they rely heavily on him to come up with big numbers in every game if they're going to win. No one else really is reliable or trustable for the Pelicans to rely on.

He has been on a tear recently and has been absolutely dominating every team that he faces. But, in this game, he was just not in his groove which cost the Pelicans the match.

So, far Davis has been averaging 28.8ppg, 13reb, 4.6asts, 2.7blks, and 1.7stls. He is also the league leader in player PER. He is also one of the MVP candidates.