Timberwolves at Rockets
The Minnesota Timberwolves go from an easy win at home Friday to a challenging contest on the road Saturday when they travel to take on the Houston Rockets. Facing the hapless Brooklyn Nets in the first half of the back-to-back, Minnesota broke away early and cruised to a 111-81 victory, its second home win by at least 29 points in a span of 10 days. All five Timberwolves starters scored in double figures before receiving plenty of rest down the stretch.
Houston has won three straight at home but had its three-game winning streak overall snapped Wednesday in Dallas, where it fell 123-120. The Rockets were outscored by 17 points in the fourth quarter. That continues a troubling trend for Houston, which has given up a league-high 28.7 points in the final quarter.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN North (Minnesota), CSN Houston (Houston)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (8-6): Minnesota is 1-3 on the second half of back-to-back sets thus far, but the relative ease of Friday night's win should help in a matchup between two of the top scoring teams in the league. Kevin Martin played a team-high 31 minutes in a game that was essentially over after a 16-0 Timberwolves run in the third quarter. The matchup with the Rockets begins a brutal stretch that has Minnesota also visiting Indiana and Dallas before opening December with games against Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Miami.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (8-5): The internal turmoil that would seem to exist with center Omer Asik's request for a trade has actually benefited Houston in the short-term as the frontcourt rotation has shifted in the favor of Terrence Jones, who has been electric since entering the starting lineup. The 21-year-old had 18 more points in the loss to the Mavericks and is 18-for-25 from the floor in his last two games. While Jones has emerged, Asik has played a total of 23 minutes in the last five games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Howard has made 30-of-45 foul shots in his last three games.
2. Minnesota had 28 assists Friday, compared to seven for Brooklyn.
3. The Timberwolves entered Friday leading the NBA with 89.2 shots per game, while Houston ranked 29th with 77.3.