Houston Rockets At Minnesota Timberwolves: Game 41: Sneak Peek Analysis
The Houston Rockets once again staved off a late-rally by their opponent last night to get their 31st win of the season and ninth in a row.
The Houston Rockets once again staved off a late-rally by their opponent last night to get their 31st win of the season and ninth in a row.
I sometimes the Rockets just need a challenge late just to ensure that they still have the right stuff.
Apparently, they do because they were able to take care of business.
The Rockets will now head up to Minneapolis for a quick trip to take on the 12-26 Timberwolves.
They’re still the same team we faced last month but they’ve improved their ball movement and offense.
We had to grind them out in overtime in their last meeting back Dec. 17th to win so this may be another photo finish or just another speed bump along the way.
It’s up for the Rockets to decide that.
So who’s leading the charge for the Timberwolves?
Andrew Wiggins leads the team in scoring (21.9 PPG). Karl-Anthony Towns is the top board-getter (11.6 RPG) and shot-blocker (1.4 BPG). Ricky Rubio is in charge of the dimes (7.4 APG) and steals (1.8 SPG).
Let’s talk about what the Timberwolves do well.
They’re an excellent rebounding team. The T-Wolves are 4th in the NBA as far as rebound rate, taking down 51.8 percent of missed shots.
They’re efficient at moving the ball around. The T-Wolves are 10th in assist ratio, with 17.1 percent of their possessions ending with an assist.
They’re offensively-minded. The T-Wolves are 11th in offensive efficiency, averaging 106.1 points per 100 possessions.
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Injuries:
Clint Capela collided into Karl-Anthony Towns Dec. 17th against the T-Wolves. He seemed to be in tremendous pain and could not walk on his own power to locker room.
It’s apparent that he has a minor fracture of his fibula and is expected to be out at least four weeks. Nene will have some big shoes to fill as Capela heals but the Rockets can press on without him.
Capela has resumed on-court activities and is still on track to return within the estimated four- to six-week window that started Dec. 19.
He should be re-examined within the next week or so.
It would be nice for the Rockets to make a deal for his replacement but I think the depth of our bench could fill his void.
Patrick Beverley has been dealing with some pain in his wrist that sidelined him back Dec. 31 against the New York Knicks. He returned to action last night against the Oklahoma City Thunder back Jan. 5, chipping in 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
This included him snagging four of those rebounds in the last 90 minutes of the game. He was still in a lot of pain after the game and he’ll likely continue to play through it. I’d definitely keep an eye on the progression of his healing.
Eric Gordon sprained his left big toe against the Raptors Sunday night and missed Tuesday’s game against the Hornets. He also will not travel with the team to Minneapolis so he will be OUT for tonight.
For the T-Wolves, Zach LaVine suffered a left hip contusion during Monday’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks. He had to leave the game early as a result and has been deemed as day-to-day. He’ll likely be ruled as QUESTIONABLE for tonight. Kris Dunn could get the start if LaVine can’t go but I’d start Tyus Jones if I were Coach Thibs.
Source(s): Houston Rockets, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com, Kyle Ratke of Timberwolves.com
Matchups to Watch:
- Trevor Ariza vs. Andrew Wiggins
- Patrick Beverley vs. Zach LaVine?/Kris Dunn/Tyus Jones
- Nene Hilario/Montrezl Harrell vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
- Ryan Anderson vs. Gorgui Dieng
Prediction:
115-103 in a Houston Rockets’ win!
The Rockets have returned home to take on the T-Wolves at Target 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), Sirius/XM/SiriusXM Internet 890 and La Ranchera 101.7 FM (KNTE) & 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.
Go Rockets!