Wolves vs. Rockets Gameday

Final: 109-102 Rockets
Jefferson put together a masterful fourth quarter performance but the Rockets answered every rally from the Wolves. Ming hit a fading jumper in the lane after Foye nailed a 3-pointer to bring Minnesota within three points with 35 seconds left in the game. Foye tried for another three but missed the shot, which gave the victory to the Rockets. Jefferson finished with 14 points in the final quarter but his efforts could not help the Wolves snap a current 12-game losing skid. McGrady was the leading scorer for Houston with 23 points while Jefferson led all scorers with 34 points.

More postgame coming soon...

Third Quarter: 82-71 Rockets
The Rockets started to pull away in the early stages of the period. McGrady played with a more aggressive style that led to ten points in the quarter. Ming hit a couple of jumpers in the first five minutes to give the Rockets a post threat in the paint. Jefferson provided another highlight dunk by driving to the basket and putting Ming back on his heels. Despite the offensive struggles for Minnesota, they face an 11-point deficit with foul trouble surrounding the Rockets stars. Ming recorded is fourth foul and Artest was tagged with his third foul in the final minute of the quarter. Jefferson leads the Wolves with 20 points in the game and continues to be the best scoring option for the team.

Halftime: 60-51 Rockets
The story of the half is the production from McCants. He has battled inconsistency all season but with a several strong moves to the basket, McCants has recorded 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. Jefferson started the game with several jump shots to draw Ming from the paint. He finished the half with 13 points including the monstrous dunk on Ming. Minnesota will need to improve on its field goal percentage as it dipped to just 41.9 percent. Houston got the lead back with open looks inside the paint, which resulted in a 55 percentage from the field.. Through the first half of play, Ming is struggling on 4-10 shooting and eight points. The Rockets are getting good play form their bench with 25 points. This high-scoring first half could be an advantage for the Wolves because the Rockets like to play a more defensive-minded contest.

First Quarter: 32-30 Wolves
Jefferson shocked the crowd with 2:50 left in the quarter. In a strong drive to the basket, Jefferson slammed on Ming to give Minnesota the lead 25-23. The Wolves fans jumped to their feet in amazement as the 7-foot-6 center seemed a bit surprised at the dunk. Houston jumped out to a 7-0 start to the game, then Miller snapped the scoring slump with a 3-pointer at the 9:06 mark. Miller would then go down hard on a fast break. McHale had to use a timeout while Mark Madsen and Jason Collins assisted Miller to the locker room. His return is questionable with a sprained right ankle, the same ankle that kept him on the sidelines for three games earlier in the season. Minnesota should be extremely happy with the start to the game by scoring 32 points and shooting 50 percent from the field against a very good defensive team. Jefferson leads the Wolves with 11 points and McCants jumped off the bench for 10.

Wolves Pregame Audio
Kevin McHale

Rockets Pregame Audio
Rick Adelman

Voice of the Opposition
Rockets.com writer Jason Friedman

Wolves Scouting Report
JB Bickerstaff

Wolves Shootaround
Kevin McHale

Kevin Love

Mike Miller

Scouting Report
The Rockets won 22-straight games last year to reach the playoffs before an eventual first round exit. With a superstar post player in Yao Ming and a superstar wing player in Tracy McGrady, Houston needed a superstar defender to complete the roster. Their version of the "Big Three" came to fruition during the offseason with the acquisition of Ron Artest. The controversial career of Artest is well documented, including the bench-clearing brawl that took place between Detroit and Indiana in 2004. Artest broke the invisible line that separates fan and player when he jumped into the stands in Detroit. The altercations sent reverberations throughout the league and Artest continues to deal with the black cloud over his head. Injuries seem to plague the Rockets each year and this season is no different. Ming, McGrady, Artest, and Shane Battier have combined to miss 27 games, which has affected Houston's ability to create team chemistry. Despite the injury issues, the Rockets are 17-9 and tied for the third-best record in the Western Conference. Houston is a strong defense team by ranking fifth in points allowed at 93.6 points per game. Offensively, this team relies on outside shooting with a 37.8 percentage from the 3-point line. The Rockets have a deep roster and proven scorers but the squad struggles to put points on the scoreboard at 97.2 per game.

In the backcourt, Rafer Alston will miss the game with a left hamstring injury. The speedy guard, Aaron Brooks takes his place and has provided the Rockets with an added element from the point position. In two games, Brooks combined for 28 points and 11 assists in wins over Denver and Sacramento. The Minnesota guards will need to stay in front of Brooks and not allow his quickness to overtake the game. Tracy McGrady is a lengthy two guard that can rise above his defenders to hit long jump shots. In the victory past the Nuggets earlier in the week, McGrady recorded a triple-double. He admitted to the Houston media that he is not quite 100 percent but is starting to get back into basketball shape. When McGrady is healthy, he is considered one of the best scoring guards in the entire league. Mike Miller can match his size but may have difficulty with McGrady's athleticism as he tries to return from an ankle injury.

The frontline for Houston starts and ends with the 7-foot-6 center. Ming is surprisingly a great outside shooter from about 16 feet. He has also developed several low-post moves that will put pressure on the Minnesota defense. The unusual size allows Ming to shoot over any defender but he will struggle with a quicker, stronger player on the defensive side of the floor. Ming is fresh off back-to-back 30-point performances in the wins over Denver and Sacramento. Artest is the pit bull of this team. He will physically disrupt the offensive flow for the Wolves with his tenacious defense that earned a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2003. Not only will Artest create havoc on the defensive end but will knockdown jump shots from the perimeter. At this point in the season, Artest comes off the bench to provide a spark for the second unit. He scored 20 points in the victory over Denver on Monday night. On a team with Ming and McGrady; Artest may present the biggest challenge for the Wolves on both sides of the floor tonight.

Minnesota desperately needs a win after 11-straight losses and 0-6 record under Kevin McHale. The team is displaying extreme effort on the court but they continue to struggle to hit shots. During the losing skid, the Wolves are only shooting 41.2 percent from the field. Houston has won six of its last eight games and has a knack for playing tight defense on the opposing team. The key for Minnesota is to hit open shots when they can create open space from a tough Rockets team. Houston will look to take the ball out of Al Jefferson's hand and the surrounding players will have to improve on the field goal percentage in order for a victory at the Target Center at 7 PM.

Projected Starters
Houston
Aaron Brooks, PG
Tracy McGrady, SG
Shane Battier, SF
Luis Scola, PF
Yao Ming, C

Minnesota
Randy Foye, PG
Mike Miller, SG
Ryan Gomes, SF
Craig Smith, PF
Al Jefferson, C