Rockets Dominated by Wolves in 141-123 Beatdown
Too Much Towns. No Defensive Force. Searching for Answers.
For the second straight game, the Rockets were blown out on their home floor, as the Timberwolves feasted on a 141-123 victory in Houston. Karl-Anthony Towns was unstoppable, as the Rockets had no answers for KAT defensively. Towns led Minnesota with 40 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. De’Angelo Russell added 22 points, and Anthony Edwards chipped in 19, but KAT was the beast who ultimately made sure Houston had no chance.
The Rockets once again weren’t lacking versatility, seven players scored in double-figures, led by Christian Wood, who had 22 points. Josh Christopher continues to play well. The rookie scored 19 points, the same amount as Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green combined, as Houston’s backcourt has struggled over the last two matchups. And defensively the Rockets have been an embarrassment over the past couple games. Since Kevin Porter Jr.’s game-winner in D.C., Houston has given up a whopping 271 points over the last two games. That’s an average of almost 136 points a night. If this level of defense continues, so will the losses for Houston. On Star Wars Night at Toyota Center, the “force” certainly wasn’t with the Rockets on defense.
Houston’s now lost two straight games by a combined total of 42 points, and remains a team searching for answers. The Rockets have a lot of young, talented players with potential, but something’s missing. Granted, the lack of experience will lead to letdowns like Sunday’s, but Houston is too talented to be getting blown out this frequently. Having played 41 games, the Rockets are now officially halfway through the season. Has the squad run out of gas too early? It’s going to be hard to snap out of this funk soon for Houston, as they get right back to action on Monday night. Only the opponent is more difficult than the last two teams the Rockets got torched by. The Philadelphia 76ers come to town on Monday night, exactly one week after blowing out Houston, 133-113, in these squads’ first matchup back on January 3rd. And if the Rockets want to be more completive than their recent losses, they’ve simply need to play with more energy and force, especially defensively.