The mood in the postgame press conference for the Pelicans was a somber one, as the team fell to the Rockets by a score of 109-97 on Thursday night.

The team started out hot, including Trey Murphy III, who scored 21 first-half points but went silent in the second half.

“We didn’t have any pace to our offense,” Murphy said. “We let them clog the paint up and stagnate our offense.”

Rookie center Yves Missi was one of those down in the paint, putting up ten points and four rebounds throughout the contest. He acknowledged the sloppy play was a big part in the loss.

“We had a couple of turnovers in the beginning,” the rookie out of Baylor said. “As a team, we have to do better in general.”

Missi has had an up-and-down season, but he looks to help build on an already amazing rookie campaign.

“You just gotta work on your motivation,” Missi said following the loss. “It definitely helps.”

The Pelicans will have a quick turnaround as they prepare to face the Rockets on Sunday. Tip-off from the Toyota Center in Houston is set for 6 p.m.