Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game preview

The Rockets and Timberwolves have met twice this season. Both times, Houston rode a 9-game winning streak into Minny. Oh, and both times the Rockets were on the second night of a back-to-back against a rested T-Wolves team at home. I’m sure the league found a way to do this a third time and I swear if they did...

Oh would you look at that!

The Timberwolves have to play in Houston tonight. And the Timberwolves are on a back-to-back. And the Rockets were off last night.

How does that medicine taste: your own flavor?

Is it just me or have these tables turned?

(Both are thanks to the immortal Andy Bernard)

Back to seriousness. The Timberwolves beat the Mavericks last night 97-84. Dallas was in a weird spot of having traded one wing as well as cutting their starting point guard and center, plus the fact that the player they traded for (Nerlens Noel) wasn’t available for them. Let’s just say a lot of Mavs had to play more minutes than they’re used to.

But you can’t blame the Timberwolves. After all, they can only play the team in front of them. The Wolves starters all outperformed their Mavs counterparts. Gorgui Dieng continues to be an enigma by posting a game-high +25 with just 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 fouls. Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns had more understandable stat lines, going for 27 points and 26 points with 18 rebounds, respectively. Ricky Rubio had a James Harden-esque night running the point, tallying the exact same stat line as the Beard did in New Orleans: 13 points and 14 assists.

Look, Towns is a killer. And if Wiggins is fully engaged he’s too athletic to contain. Rubio can do damage even if sag off of him. And a random Minny player will go bananas. But the Rockets should win this game. Lots of casual fans are likely to tune into this one after the night the Rockets had against the new-look Pelicans. These are usually games where the Rockets disappoint those potential fans and send them clamoring for baseball season to start. Should Houston get the win tonight, it could drag some more fans into the Toyota Center. Or it won’t do anything. Who knows?

Tip-off is at 8pm CT.