Global Games: Houston Rockets Roll Over T-Wolves 113-101

The Houston Rockets squared off with the Minnesota Timberwolves in Mexico City Wednesday night. The team extended their early season record out to 7-1 with a 113-101 victory of the T-Wolves.

The game counted as a home game for the Timberwolves although clearly there were more Rockets fans in the house. The Timberwolves — who have apparently become the NBA’s version of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, seem willing to give up a home date for an international game, some notoriety and a national TV audience that they seldom get.

The young Timberwolves led by number one overall pick Andrew Wiggins, acquired in the Kevin Love trade, came out of the gate aggressive and pushing the tempo. With Wiggins getting off to an impressive start with seven points in the 1^st quarter. But an even more impressive defensive play was on a block of a classic James Harden penetration drive, where Harden bumped him and Wiggins still came back and got the block.

The Rockets were taking the court for their first game since the first loss of the season last Saturday night against Golden State, a rare four-day rest by NBA schedule standards. When the Rockets last played they were without three starters, including Dwight Howard. Howard was back in the lineup, although the Rockets were still without Patrick Beverley and Terrence Jones.

Howard picked up where he left off against the San Antonio Spurs and dominated the quarter with 11 points to start off and several intimidation blocks and goal-tending calls. The Rockets finished the quarter with a 28-26 lead.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden having struggled a bit lately with the three-point shot, stepped up in the 2^nd quarter with numerous dribble-drive penetrations and got to the free throw line three times, where he was a perfect 3-for-3.

At around the 6:25 mark, Harden jumped a passing line for the steal and took off on a 2-on-1 fast break with Jason Terry. Harden dished it to Terry, who gave it back to Harden who went to the hole for the layup and was fouled by Mo Williams. He is regarded — especially by Rockets’ fans — as the least favorite player in the league. Harden finished off the three-point play from the line to give the Rockets a 42-39 lead.

However, the Timberwolves continued to hang tough and keep the game close in the 2^nd quarter. They got nine points from Wiggins and nine more off the bench from Corey Brewer. Wiggins who had a nice 1^st half shooting the ball also got a warm-welcome to the NBA with a bone-crunching block by Dwight Howard with 1:42 to play, that ball ended up somewhere far into the stands. (video here)

Tarik Black came off the bench and chipped in with a couple baskets in the 2^nd quarter, the second of which gave the Rockets a 51-45 lead. Black for the first time this season also played some power forward alongside Howard as Coach Kevin McHale was clearly attempting to use more of his bench, with concerns of the extreme altitude in Mexico City and the worry that his team would tire more quickly.

Kostas Papanikolaou, also off the bench, contributed with a strong first half knocking down two threes on 2-for-2 shooting of three-pointers for eight points. Harden led all scorers in the 2^nd quarter with nine of his 14 first-half points. The Rockets led at the half 53-49.

As the 2^nd half began, Howard excited the crowd with his third blocked shot followed shortly thereafter by his second blown two-handed slam dunk that nearly hit the overhead scoreboard when it clanked off the rim. The Rockets retained the ball and followed with a sloppy sequence including a missed alley-oop pass to Howard and ending with another alley-opp pass from Harden to Howard that was successful. Houston led 57-49.

The Rockets managed to run the lead out to 10 points and their largest lead thus far at 66-56 with 6:30 left in the 3^rd off Papanikolaou’s third 3-pointer of the game.

The Rockets got a huge scare with 3:53 to go in the 3^rd, when Harden came down awkwardly and rolled his ankle. The Rockets quickly called a time-out to get him off the floor and get his ankle looked at.

Terry substituted in and made his presence known by knocking down a three for a 73-64 lead. With Harden on the bench, the Rockets began to focus more on the half-court game and dump it into Howard in the low post.

Harden took his shoe off and tried stretching out the ankle and ended up only sitting less than two minutes of game time and returned before the 3^rd quarter ended. Harden quickly put Rockets fans fears to rest as he scored on the next possession and the following possession with a dribble-drive penetration and kick-out to Jason Terry in the short corner for his second three-pointer of the night and a Rockets 82-67 lead.

To close out the quarter, Harden paired up with Black on a pass between the legs of a T-Wolves defender to give Black’s six points in the game and a 84-70 Rockets lead.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Terry was in no mood to cool off as he buried another three-pointer to start of the 4^th quarter. As it turned out, that bucket was a sign of what was to come in the final quarter as the Rockets bench continued to pour it on and the Timberwolves seemed to run out of gas.

The Rockets were firing on all cylinders in the 4^th and nearly everyone was getting into the act. With 6:09 to play, off of a block by Donatas Motiejunas that fueled a 2-on-1 fast break, Harden in almost All-star game fashion, flipped a pass back to Trevor Ariza for a monster jam that brought the crowd to its feet and a time-out from T-Wolves coach Flip Saunders as the Rockets had stretched the lead out to 103-82. The game was turning into a total laugh fest.

The Timberwolves as often happens in the NBA closed the gap in garbage time late to cut the lead to a final score of 113-101. Brewer led the T-Wolves with 18 points and Wiggins contributed 15 points.

The difference in this game beside Minnesota’s inability to stop Harden and Howard was the Rockets three-point shooting. On the night, the Rockets went 13-of-28 for 46 percent on the game. The Rockets are not going to lose many games when they shoot that well from long distance with the number of shots they typically take.

The Rockets have now made 104 three-pointers through the first eight games of the season, which is an NBA record through eight games. They have also made at least 10 three-pointers in each game thus far on the season.

The Rockets stars both finished with double-doubles. Harden closed out the game with 23 points/10 assists and continued to show the unselfish style of play that we’ve begun to see from him this season. Howard continued to play inspired basketball finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds to go with four blocked shots and a good deal of entertainment for the Mexico City crowd.

Ariza had a bounce-back game after a rough night against the Warriors and chipped in with 19 points. He hit three of six three-pointers and ran the floor aggressively. Motiejunas played well in absence of Terrence Jones with eight points and seven rebounds.

Global Games: Houston Rockets Roll Over Minnesota T-Wolves 113-101 In Mexico City

By Travis Oquin | Nov 13, 2014