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Game 40: Houston Rockets Vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Preview

By Brian K. Patterson

Feb 23, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Terrence Jones (6) tries to steal the ball from Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (14) in the second half at Toyota Center. Rockets won 113 to 102. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Terrence Jones (6) tries to steal the ball from Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (14) in the second half at Toyota Center. Rockets won 113 to 102. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Make that four-in-a-row for the Houston Rockets!

Can we actually say that they’re finally hitting their stride?

I’ll reserve judgement until I see more but this win streak has been quite uplifting for a fan like me.

I also like what I’m seeing and I hope they continue this momentum.

I do have my concerns tonight because I sometimes feel that the Rockets don’t play up to the weaker opponents and once they’ve realized it, they’ve dug themselves a hole to which it’s hard to get out of.

The Rockets will face the 12-27 Minnesota Timberwolves tonight and are hoping to get their 5th straight win in this back-to-back.

It can happen but the Rockets must not lose sight of the task at hand — that’s winning the basketball game.

So who’s leading the charge for the Timberwolves?

Andrew Wiggins is the team’s leading scorer (20.6 PPG).  Karl-Anthony Towns is the team’s leading board-getter (9.3 RPG) and shot-blocker (1.80 BPG).  Ricky Rubio is the chief of dimes (8.8 APG) and steals (2.30 SPG).

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Let’s talk about what the Timberwolves do well.

There’s not a whole lot that this team does well but they’ve got a young core that will be a force to reckoned with in the future.

They are decent at moving the ball around effectively.  The T-Wolves are 13th in the league in terms of assist ratio with 16.7 percent of their possessions ending with an assist.

They take care of business from behind the charity stripe.  The T-Wolves are 6th in the NBA as far as free throw percentage (79.1).

Injuries:

If you’ve been under a rock lately, Donatas Motiejunas‘ back issues have flared up again.  Yep, another team member with a back issue!  He has planned to sit out until he’s pain-free so no specific timeline has been set.  This is such a setback to a guy that’s been working so hard to get back into a rhythm.  There was no structural damage to the back itself so he may be back sooner than we think but he may not.  We just have to cross our fingers for a speedy recovery.  Montrezl Harrell will take his spot on the roster for the time being, he had been leading the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in scoring during his stint there (21.5 PPG).

Sam Dekker had back surgery back in November but the 2015 first-round pick seems to be edging closer to a return.  He was seen shooting on the practice court ye for the first time since heading to the injured list.  This is certainly a sign of good things to come.

Kevin Garnett will sit out tonight for no other reason than rest because, like the Rockets, this is a back-to-back for T-Wolves.  Their staff is usually quite careful in the handling of the 39-year-old vet and will give him time to shore up any soreness he may have.

Sources:  Jenny Dial Creech/Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com and Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Next: Is Patrick Beverley An Elite Shooter?

Three Things to Watch:

  1. Dwight Howard vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
  2. James Harden vs. Andrew Wiggins
  3. Patrick Beverley vs.Ricky Rubio
  4. (Bonus)  Clint Capela vs. Nikola Pekovic

Prediction:

109-99 in a Rockets’ win!

The Rockets are back at home to take on the Timberwolves at Toyota Center.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.

The game will be televised on ROOT Sports Southwest and broadcast on SportsTalk 790 AM (KBME) and La Ranchera 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.

Go Rockets!

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