Rockets Host Timberwolves in First Part of Brutal Back-to-Back
Hunting Weekend. Front of the Pack. Towering Task.
It’s hunting season this weekend in Houston, as the Rockets welcome two of the NBA’s best teams into Toyota Center for the arguably the squad’s toughest back-to-back of this season. First up, Houston hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. The Rockets will then welcome the Milwaukee Bucks to town tomorrow night to close out their home-stand. Like Houston, the Wolves are one of the surprise teams in the NBA this year, exceeding expectations to start the season. Minnesota is currently holding the first spot in the Western Conference. And their record of 24-9 is second best in the league only to the East’s Boston Celtics. However, the Wolves have been struggling lately. Minnesota has lost two straight games, and three of their last five overall. Every team in the West has at least 10 losses on the season, except for these Wolves. The Rockets will aim to push them towards the rest of the pack tonight, as they aim to deal Minnesota their third straight loss.
Regardless of their two-game losing streak, the Rockets have a tough, motivated team coming into their house tonight. The Wolves have a “Big Three” of their own. This consists of rising superstar Anthony Edwards, who will be named an All-Star, and is even being discussed in MVP chatter. The Wolves also have the NBA’s modern version of the “Twin Towers,” featuring Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert. Towns is playing the best basketball of his career. And Gobert is once again in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, as he anchors Minnesota’s defense. What does this mean? The Rockets, and especially Alperen Sengun, have their hands full tonight. These three players can beat you alone, but the Wolves have depth, boasting one of the league’s best starting lineups. Veteran point guard Mike Conley is having somewhat of a renaissance season guiding the way for Minnesota this season. And Jaden McDaniels is one of the league’s best “three-and-D” players, meaning the swingman is a defensive beast who can knock down threes at an efficient rate. The Wolves also have one of the best backup centers in the league in Naz Reid.
Houston will still be without Dillon Brooks for tonight’s tilt, and he’s been sorely missed since he went down with an injury. The Rockets still have enough talent, and have shown this season they can beat the NBA’s best teams, especially at home. If Houston wants to win one of these games, they’re best shot is tonight against the Wolves. The Rockets will likely expend a lot of energy in this contest, regardless of the result. And the Bucks are one of league’s best teams, boasting arguably even more firepower than this Wolves squad. The Rockets have scored 85 points over their last two third quarters. If they can bring that offensive firepower for the majority of the game, along with the defensive intensity they’ve shown capable of, Houston has a solid chance at hunting down the West’s top team on Friday night.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Minnesota Timberwolves (24-9): Blue
Houston Rockets (17-15): “City Edition” White
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass