Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game preview

The Houston Rockets blasted out of their losing slump to the Denver Nuggets and now head north to face Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Rockets and the city of Houston needed a win in the worst way, and thankfully the undermanned Nuggets were able to provide the opportunity. The Timberwolves may not be so accommodating, nor will the rest of the teams on this 4-game road trip, which includes stops in Denver, Utah (on a back-to-back, natch), and Portland.

The Timberwolves are on a 7-game losing streak, though all but one of those came against playoff teams. Minnesota has been embroiled in trade rumors, with Karl-Anthony Towns (unlikely to be moved) and Robert Covington (more likely) getting mentioned most often. The team has also been linked to D’Angelo Russell since last summer and that’s definitely a possibility. And finally, the team made an actual trade, sending Jeff Teague to Atlanta for Allen Crabbe.

As a Texas Tech alum, I’ve rooted for Jarrett Culver since Day 1, but he’s been a disappointment early in his rookie year. There’s been flashes of potential, but when you get drafted sixth overall there’s certain expectations. He’s shooting 39% overall and 28% from deep. He’s also shooting below 50% from the free throw line, and you wonder if that will affect his aggressiveness moving forward. I’m still pulling for him, but he has to start showing up more often.

Tip-off is at 7pm CT