NEW ORLEANS—DeMarcus Cousins had a triple double in New Orleans’ 132-128 double overtime win over Chicago, becoming the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to have 40 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game.
Cousins finished with 44 points, 24 rebounds and 10 assists as he combined with Anthony Davis, who scored 34, to spark a Pelicans’ comeback in regulation before they pulled off the marathon victory against the Bulls on Monday.
Cousins scored seven points in the second overtime on a three-pointer, a turnaround jumper and two free throws with eight seconds left in front of a crowd of 17,100 at Smoothie King Center arena.
He became the first NBA player since Hall of Famer Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to achieve the feat. The others who have done it are Wilt Chamberlain (six times), Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor. All four players are in the hall of fame.
Chamberlain had one of the greatest games in history when he scored 51 points, 29 rebounds and 11 assists against Detroit in February 1963.
“I’m just glad we won,” Cousins said. “It wouldn’t have really meant (much) if I didn’t get a win.
“It’s cool to be in company with a guy like Wilt. He was a guy who put up video-game numbers his entire career. Just to have a little game like his, it’s pretty cool.”
Cousins said he was physically drained after playing a career high 52 minutes.
“My strength coach had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to lift after this game. I almost lost it. If I had some energy, we would’ve fought,” he said smiling.
E’Twaun Moore scored 15 points, including a three in the second overtime, to help the Pelicans win for the fifth time in six games.
Meanwhile, The Houston Rockets aren’t the type of team to rest on their laurels.
Just two days after beating the reigning league champion Golden State Warriors, Houston quickly refocused on Monday night with a 99-90 victory over the Miami Heat in a battle of first-place NBA teams.
James Harden scored a team-high 28 points while Chris Paul had 16, six rebounds and six assists for the Rockets, who are blasting through one of the toughest stretches of their season.
The Rockets, who are first in the Southwest Division, improved to 33-12 on the season by overcoming a sizeable early deficit against the Heat.
Their last three wins have all come over first-place teams, Golden State, Miami and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Houston welcomed both Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green back to their rotation after they served suspensions for trying to get into the Los Angeles Clippers’ locker room following a physical game at Staples Center arena.
– Sun rises without Kidd –
Elsewhere, Malcolm Brogdon scored a career-high 32 points as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 109-105 just hours after sacking head coach Jason Kidd.
Kidd was replaced by assistant coach Joe Prunty who was promoted to interim head coach until a full-time replacement can be found.
Khris Middleton, who scored a team-high 35 points, had high praise for his former coach.
“It’s tough for me,” Middleton said. “He took my game to another level. He took this team to a whole other level. Today was a tough day.”
A Bucks statement paid tribute to Kidd’s work in helping the team reach two playoff appearances soon after his appointment in 2014.
However, general manager Jon Horst said the time had come for a change with the Bucks languishing in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings at 23-22.
“We appreciate everything that Jason has done for the Bucks organization, but we have decided to make a coaching change,” Horst said.
“We believe that a fresh approach and a change in leadership are needed to continue elevating our talented team towards the next level, bringing us closer to our goal of competing for championships.”
Kidd, an NBA champion as a player with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 and a 10-time NBA All-Star pick, helped steer the Bucks to the playoffs in his first season in charge.
Under Kidd, the Bucks had a regular-season record of 139-152 and reached the first round of the NBA playoffs in the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons.
In Dallas, Harrison Barnes had 20 points and 10 rebounds, rookie Dennis Smith scored 17 and the Dallas Mavericks finished a season sweep of playoff-contending Washington, beating the Wizards 98-75.