The Houston Rockets have slipped toward the middle of the Western Conference playoff pecking order but hope to take advantage of a long home stand that continues Monday against Minnesota. The Rockets, who are third in the crowded West, opened a five-game stand with an impressive win over Toronto on Saturday. The Timberwolves have the worst record in the West but won four of their last six and came out of the All-Star break with a 111-109 win over Phoenix on Friday.
Unlike their lackluster effort in a 111-100 loss at Dallas coming out of the break, the Rockets were outstanding defensively in their 98-76 drubbing of the Raptors. "It's about effort and energy," leading scorer James Harden told reporters. "When you have the entire team playing like that for four quarters, it's tough to beat us." The Rockets have won the first two meetings this season, 113-101 in Mexico City on Nov. 12 and 114-112 in overtime Dec. 5 in Minnesota, and have won three straight matchups in Houston.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), ROOT (Houston)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (12-42): Minnesota didn't have much to get excited about early in the season, but the return of leading scorer Kevin Martin (20.6 points) and fellow starters Ricky Rubio (10.7 points, 8.4 assists) and Nikola Pekovic (13.6 points, 7.3 rebounds) has bolstered the lineup. The Timberwolves have been hit with another round of injuries, though, with Shabazz Muhammad lost for the season to a torn ligament in his finger and Anthony Bennett expected to be out at least two weeks with a leg injury. The supporting cast saw some major turnover ahead of the trading deadline, but the latest addition — franchise icon Kevin Garnett — won't see action until Wednesday against Washington, and newly-acquired guard Gary Neal isn't likely to suit up against the Rockets, either.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (37-18): Houston added some reinforcements through the trade market with guard Pablo Prigioni and swingman K.J. McDaniels, who made their debuts with the team Saturday. Prigioni adds another ball-handler and McDaniels is a streaky shooter who can put up big numbers on occasion, but neither fills the void left by Dwight Howard's absence in the middle. The Rockets are far more perimeter-oriented without Howard with Harden (27.2 points, 6.8 assists), Trevor Ariza (12.6 points) and Corey Brewer (11.3 points) leading the charge.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Rockets have won three straight home games against Minnesota.
2. The Timberwolves have allowed opponents to shoot 50 percent or better a league-high 25 times and are allowing an average of 109.5 points on 50.2 percent shooting on the road.
3. Houston is 26-3 when holding opponents under 100 points while Minnesota is 4-26 when scoring fewer than 100.