Deja Blues: Rockets Suffer Another Collapse in 127-114 Loss to Timberwolves, Lose Fifth Straight
March of the Ant. Closing Struggles. Nosediving.
On Thursday night, the Rockets outscored the Timberwolves in the first three quarters, and looked poised to end their losing streak. Then came the dreaded fourth quarter. Houston struggled mightily once again in the final frame, scoring only 16 points in the quarter en route to a 127-114 loss to Minnesota. The defeat is the Rockets’ fifth straight loss, as Houston continues to nosedive down the Western Conference standings. After winning the first matchup between these squads, the Rockets are now 1-2 against the Wolves this season. With this loss, the Denver Nuggets have now moved ahead of the Rockets for third place in the West. Houston is in danger of falling even further down the standings with both Los Angeles teams and now this Minnesota club breathing down their necks.
After scoring 49 points the previous night, Anthony Edwards had plenty left in the tank, as he torched Houston’s defense for 41 points. Jalen Green led the Rockets with 28 points on 9-for-22 shooting from the field. Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore scored 16 points apiece, but it wasn’t enough in the losing effort. Even in victories this season, Houston has struggled in fourth quarters, particularly on offense. The Rockets need to figure out how to string four solid quarters of basketball together. Despite being the more rested team, Houston ran out of gas late in this contest, as Edwards fueled a Wolves comeback rally. Whether it’s lack of discipline, fatigue, or just disinterest, the Rockets are faltering at the end of games, and it’s a trait they need to drop quickly.
Up next, the goings get even tougher, as Houston visits Dallas to face the Mavericks on Saturday afternoon. It will be the Mavs’ first game since trading Luka Doncic. The Mavs are coming off an impressive blowout win in Boston over the Celtics in their previous game. Besides being a matinee affair, which Houston struggles mightily in day games, Saturday will mark Anthony Davis’ Mavericks debut. Expect the atmosphere inside American Airlines Center to be dicey, as fans in Dallas have expressed their angst since the shocking trade one week ago. The Rockets need to tune out all the noise or embrace it, whichever suits their playing style best. Houston is desperately trying to break their season-high five game skid, and they’d love to further instigate the situation in Dallas.