Mitchell HansenWeb Editorial AssociateTwitter
7 p.m., Target CenterWhere to Watch: Fox Sports North Where to Listen: 830 WCCO
The Minnesota Timberwolves look to build off of Monday’s win when they take on the Houston Rockets at 7 p.m. Wednesday night at Target Center.
The Wolves enter the game at 12-26 overall, while the Rockets come in at 31-9 on the season. Houston will be playing the second game of a back-to-back.
Coming Off Of…
Minnesota is coming off of a 101-92 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 34 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, Ricky Rubio had 13 points, 15 assists, five rebounds and five steals, Andrew Wiggins had 13 points and four rebounds, Gorgui Dieng had 12 points and five rebounds, and Shabazz Muhammad added 11 points off the bench.
Houston is coming off of a 121-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday in Houston.
James Harden had 40 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Rockets. Trevor Ariza had 16 points and four rebounds, Corey Brewer had 15 points and five rebounds, and Montrezl Harrell added 14 points.
Last Matchup
The last matchup between Minnesota and Houston came on Dec. 17 at Target Center. The Rockets won 111-109 in overtime.
In that game, Towns had 41 points, 16 rebounds and five assists, LaVine had 24 points and six assists, Wiggins had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists and Nemanja Bjelica had 10 points and four rebounds for the Wolves.
Harden finished with a team-best 28 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds for the Rockets. Ryan Anderson had 28 points and six rebounds, Eric Gordon had 20 points and six rebounds and Ariza added 11 points and five rebounds.
Wednesday’s game is the second of four matchups between the two teams this year. The two teams will face off again on Feb. 25 in Houston.
Key Matchup: Zach LaVine vs. James Harden
Regardless if Zach LaVine, who is questionable with a left hip contusion, plays or not on Wednesday night, matching up with James Harden will be a tough task.
Harden is having an MVP caliber season, averaging 28.5 points, 11.8 assists and 8.4 rebounds per game this season. In the last time the two teams played, he finished with 28 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds.
LaVine, one of the most improved players in the NBA this season, is averaging 20.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in his third NBA season. The last time Harden and LaVine squared off, LaVine had 24 points and six assists.
Injuries
Houston: Eric Gordon (toe) is questionable. Clint Capela (leg) is out.
Minnesota: LaVine (hip) is questionable. Nikola Pekovic (ankle) is out.
Projected Starters
Houston: PG – Beverley, SG – Harden, SF – Ariza, PF – Harrell, C – Anderson
Minnesota: PG – Rubio, SG – LaVine, SF – Wiggins, PF – Dieng, C – Towns