Rockets at Timberwolves
The Houston Rockets are the team battling for a playoff spot into the final week of the season, but it’s the Minnesota Timberwolves that look like the team with more promise. The Rockets will try to stay alive in the race for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference when they visit the precocious Timberwolves on Monday.
The Timberwolves prevented the Trail Blazers from gaining some separation in the race for the No. 5 spot in the West with a 106-105 win at Portland on Saturday and have won three straight, including a victory at NBA-best Golden State. Minnesota fell behind by one point late on Saturday but Rookie of the Year favorite Karl-Anthony Towns scored the last of his 27 points on a go-ahead layup in the final seconds. Houston star James Harden is doing his part to keep the team in the race and went for 40 points and 13 assists in a 130-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The win left the Rockets one game behind the Utah Jazz for the No. 8 spot in the West with two left in the regular season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (39-41): Houston is playing the second end of a back-to-back on Monday and has been leaning heavily on Harden over the last few weeks. The 26-year-old has played at least 40 minutes in 10 straight games and is averaging 34.3 points and 8.3 assists in four games this month. Harden scored 20 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter on Sunday and averaged 28 points and 12.5 assists in two previous games against Minnesota this season.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (28-52): Finishing the season strong and taking some momentum into the summer is the latest goal for the young Minnesota team, and sweeping a road trip that included Portland, Sacramento and Golden State certainly gives the team confidence. The wins marked Minnesota’s first road trip sweep of at least three games since 2005 and featured some star-making moments from Towns and Andrew Wiggins, who was the hero of the win at the Warriors. Minnesota has a shot at 30 wins if it can get past Houston and New Orleans in its final two contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Towns had a string of 14 straight double-doubles come to an end when he finished with 27 points and nine rebounds on Saturday.
2. Rockets F Trevor Ariza is averaging 20.5 points on 16-of-25 shooting in the last two games.
3. Towns went for 32 points and 11 boards at Houston on March 18 but Harden countered with 29 points and 14 assists as Minnesota fell 116-111.