Tank Show: Rockets Snatch Defeat from the Jaws of Victory, Collapse to Wolves, 107-101
Ugly Ducklings. The Un-Magnificent Seven. Wash, Rinse, Don’t Repeat.
In the battle of the NBA’s ugly duckling’s, this game unraveled in shocking fashion, even make the headlines for the league’s bottom-dwellers. Maybe it was all the trades. Or maybe it really was some sort of NBA-amnesia, forgetting how to actually play the game, as the Houston Rockets disappeared on Friday night, collapsing to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 107-101. Houston led 101-85 with roughly seven and a half minutes left in the contest. But that’s the where the Rockets score would at game’s end, as the Wolves ended the contest on a 22-0 run, as Minnesota won Part 1 in this weekend tank show. Not that Houston was trying to lose, they just had an awful fourth quarter.
The Rockets shot 3-for-22 in the final period, scoring only 10 points, and none after the seven-minute mark. Even for bad teams, this was a pretty shockingly horrible letdown. Houston won’t have to wait long to wash this bad taste out of their mouth, as these two foes do battle again on Saturday night, right back in Twin Cities. The Rockets are looking for anything but Friday night’s twin on Saturday.
Houston will have to wash, rinse, and try and avoid a historic collapse. The Rockets controlled the game until the final seven and half minutes, where the team put on a disappearing act. It’s a 48-minute game for a reason. Houston has to focus in on finishing teams. Maybe they were surprised they had their biggest lead, 19 points, since their last win before the losing streak, on February 4th. Hopefully, they were in shock… because the Rockets all but had this one in the bag. Get ready to jump back in the pond in the battle of the league’s ugly ducklings in less than 24 hours. Houston needs to have Friday night amnesia heading into part two.