Rockets-Timberwolves Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Dec 26 2012 12:17AM

While the Minnesota Timberwolves have struggled of late, getting back home could be just what they need to regroup.

Kevin Love's return would surely help, too.

Seeking a sixth consecutive home win for the first time in nine seasons, the Timberwolves try to slow down the surging Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Minnesota (13-12) enters this game having dropped three of four - including Sunday's 94-91 loss at New York. Nikola Pekovic had 21 points and a career-high 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who shot 7 of 23 in the fourth quarter and couldn't hold on to a late lead

"We battled. We had a great game, it just didn't go our way there in the last couple of minutes," J.J. Barea said. "We just couldn't get a break there at the end and I think it hurt us."

Minnesota has to like its chances of regrouping at the Target Center, where it's strung together five straight wins while averaging 101.4 points - 5.9 more than its season mark. The Timberwolves haven't captured six in a row on their own court since a 14-game run in 2003-04.

Minnesota also has plenty to be excited about with Love expected back. The All-Star forward, who didn't make the trip to New York after getting poked in the eye late in Thursday's 99-93 home win over Oklahoma City, is averaging 19.6 points and 13.9 rebounds - the NBA's second-highest mark among those who've played at least 10 games.

Love has averaged 28.3 points and 14.0 boards in his last six matchups against Houston (15-12), which had won 15 of 16 in this series before losing the last three. Love and Pekovic combined for 63 points and 29 rebounds while Ricky Rubio scored 18 to go along with nine assists in a 111-98 road win Feb. 17.

Another victory, though, may not be as easy to come by if the Rockets' recent efforts are any indication. Houston has won six of seven - including a season-best four straight by an average of 20.8 points. The Rockets, leading the league with 106.0 points per game, have averaged 118.8 during their run.

Houston's offensive prowess was on full display Tuesday in a 120-97 rout at Chicago. James Harden, Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik and Chandler Parsons scored a combined 89 points for the Rockets, who held a 66-32 edge in the paint and outscored the Bulls 31-8 in transition. Lin matched a season high with 11 assists while Asik grabbed 18 boards.

"We are a very young team, but are continuing to learn and believe in our system," coach Kevin McHale said.

The Rockets are 0-5 on the road when scoring less than 100 points but 4-2 when they reach that mark. Houston is 2-4 on the back end of back-to-backs.

In addition to trying to contain Love, the Rockets may need to be wary of Rubio. The second-year point guard has averaged just 3.3 points off the bench in four games since returning from a torn ACL but could start to see more minutes going forward. He's gone 3 for 16 (18.8 percent) from the field.

"We knew that it would be something that would take a while, so it's taking a while," president David Kahn told the team's official website. "But we expected that, and we're sure that it will work out in the end."

Harden lifts Rockets to 87-84 win over Wolves

By ADAM CZECH
Posted Dec 26 2012 11:38PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) When the shots weren't falling and the energy was low, James Harden put his head down, went hard to the basket, and carried the young Houston Rockets to another win.

Harden scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, and the Rockets rallied to win their fifth straight, 87-84 over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Harden's drive to the basket gave Houston (16-12) an 85-84 lead with 39 seconds left. He drove again to push the lead to three with 11.7 seconds to go and scored 15 of the Rockets' final 17 points.

"When he's playing downhill on you, he's just a monster at that. He's coming at you," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "It's just so hard to defend. He's got the side-step, Euro-step, driving into you. He's so doggone strong. He's really got strong hands. He mauls the ball through your armpit and finds a way to finish."

Omer Asik added nine points and 17 rebounds for the Rockets, who edged the Wolves after beating their previous three opponents by at least 22 points.

The win might not have been as pretty as other recent Rockets' victories, but they will take it.

"We were kind of sluggish throughout the game. We stuck with it for four quarters," Harden said. "Every game we're not going to score the ball, we're not going to make shots every single game. In different games you have to grind it out and try to force a win."

Alexey Shved shot an airball on a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that could have tied it for the Timberwolves.

J.J. Barea scored 18 for Minnesota (13-13), and Shved added 16. Kevin Love had 12 rebounds, but scored just seven points - all in the first quarter - on 3 of 14 shooting. He missed all seven of his 3-point attempts.

It's been a grind for Love since he returned from a broken hand in late November.

"People are meant to get out of slumps," he said.

Minnesota has lost four of five, and has been beaten six times after starting the fourth quarter with a lead.

It was McHale's first game back in his home state since his 23-year-old daughter, Sasha, died on Nov. 24 of complications from lupus.

The former Timberwolves executive, coach and television analyst dabbed his eyes with a towel as the Target Center crowd cheered after his name was called during pregame introductions.

The Wolves led 60-46 after going on a 25-6 run to close the first half and start the second.

Most of that spurt took place without Nikola Pekovic, who left early in the second quarter because of an illness and didn't return until late in the third.

The Rockets cut the deficit to 64-61 after three quarters before Harden re-entered the game and calmly led the Rockets all the way back.

"We went cold. Any time you go cold like that, seven, eight minutes, the other team is going to get confidence going," Barea said. "We did a bad job of stopping them at the end, we did a bad job executing, and we missed open shots. That's the game."

Asik pumped his fist and confidently nodded his head as he trotted back down the court after Harden dropped in his final basket.

It was the perfect contrast to Harden, who didn't show much emotion behind his trademark beard and stared ahead confidently.

"I just wanted to be aggressive when I got in the game," Harden said. "Up to that point, I hadn't really done anything."

With the Rockets up 85-84, Barea drove the lane, but was stripped by Carlos Delfino.

Harden scored on the ensuing possession.

Chandler Parsons had 12 points, and Delfino had 11.

"To sum everything up, that was not how we wanted to play, but we'll take the win," McHale said.

McHale also was close with Michael Stephenson, a 42-year-old man who died of pneumonia last week. Stephenson couldn't walk or talk after being born with cerebral palsy.

Stephenson and McHale became friends in the early 2000s, and Stephenson appeared in the Timberwolves' 2002-03 team photo.

The team held a moment of silence for Stephenson before the game.

NOTES: Rockets forward Chandler Parsons injured his left knee Tuesday in a win over the Bulls, but played more than 35 minutes on Wednesday. ... The announced attendance was 20,340, the third-largest crowd in Target Center history.

Notebook: Rockets 87, Timberwolves 84

Jim Bielby, for NBA.com
Posted Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:22 AM - Updated Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:22 AM

THE FACTS: James Harden stepped up big in the fourth quarter and gave a tired Houston team enough to propel them to an 87-84 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Coming off a tough game last night in Chicago, Houston seemed a step slow, especially in the early minutes of the third quarter when Minnesota went on an 11-0 run to build a 14 point lead. But Houston's bench stepped up and provided some much needed energy, holding Minnesota to only one field goal in over seven minutes. Houston closed the third quarter with a 15-2 run of their own.

In the fourth quarter, Harden took over, scoring 17 of his 30 points and nearly outscoring the entire Minnesota roster. Minnesota's typically stalwart front court of Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic were utterly ineffective, especially in the second half. They came into the game averaging almost 36 points per game, but were held to nine points on 4-for-21 shooting. Love's 3-point shooting, in particular, was unusually bad. He almost air-balled his first three and he finished 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. By the end of the game, he was passing up relatively open looks, including one in Minnesota's last possession.

QUOTABLE: "Disappointing loss. We had control of the game in the third quarter and we let it slip away. Then it was anybody's game and they made the plays. ... I don't know why, but the whole team (went cold) after the third quarter. We just couldn't make a shot, which seems to be a trend."
-- Minnesota coach Rick Adelman

THE STAT: Despite being the 29th ranked defense and despite playing the end of a back-to-back, Houston held Minnesota to 38.1% shooting, one of Minnesota's worst shooting performances of the year.

TURNING POINT: J. J. Barea had a strong game for Minnesota, leading the team with 18 points. But he turned the ball over three times in the final four minutes, including a turnover with 31.9 seconds and Minnesota trailing by one. That turnover put the ball in Harden's hands a final time and his driving lay-up put the game on ice for Houston.

QUOTABLE II: "We started to get some traction (in the third quarter), which was good. I think that group went on a 11-2 run. It's a lot easier to sit (Harden) when you are making runs. But I knew that I would eventually go back to him. It's not like we were going to sit him all night."
-- Houston coach Kevin McHale

HOT: Harden was 6-for-9 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line in the fourth quarter.

NOT: Love was 0-for-6 after the first quarter and did not even take a 2-point shot in the second half.

ROOKIE WATCH: Alexey Shved has started the last seven games. He has averaged 7.2 assists per game in the last six. Tonight he scored 16 points and dished out three assists. He ranks second among rookies in assists at 4.5 apg.

NOTABLE: Tonight's Target Center crowd of 20,340 was the third largest in a regular season game in Minnesota history. ... Just under 1,000 standing-room only tickets were sold. ... Minnesota had won their last five home games and Houston was 0-6 this season on the road against Western conference opponents. ... Houston has averaged 122 points in their last three games, outscoring their opponents by more than 23 points per game. ... Minnesota had won the last three games against Houston. ... Prior to that, they dropped 15 out of the last 16 games.

UP NEXT: For the Wolves, Saturday vs. Phoenix, Wednesday at Utah, and Thursday at Denver. For the Rockets, Friday at San Antonio, Saturday vs. Oklahoma City, and Monday vs. Atlanta.

• Rockets: Jones, White
• Timberwolves: Budinger, Roy

• Rockets: --
• Timberwolves: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #38 Michael Smith, #75 Eric Dalen, #40 Leon Wood
• Attendance: 20340
• Duration: 2:04