Minnesota Timberwolves in impressive win over Houston Rockets 120 – 108 – NBA Recap
The Minnesota Timberwolves are in fine form this season and they got another win under their belt on Monday, this time over the Houston Rockets. Playing at the Toyota Center in Houston the Timberwolves were trailing at halftime but charged back into the
game took it 120 – 108 in the end.
Timberwolves had Michael Beasley to thank to a terrific effort off the bench. The oft troubled forward was deadly tonight as he poured on 34 points, the game high, and was simply unstoppable whenever he attacked.
"I've seen Beas [Beasley] score in a couple games like that. ... One thing we're trying to build with him is a consistency. He was focused tonight. Me and Beas came in early today and got our work done, and I just wanted to help him with focus, because I
think when he's focused he can't be stopped. ... He did all the work, but I just wanted to help him get in a zone." Minnesota guard Martell Webster told reporters after the game.
Apart from Beasley, the Timberwolves relied on prolific star Kevin Love and Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio to deliver the goods. Love scored 29 points but only had 7 rebounds, missing out on a double-double for the first time this season. Rubio on the other
hand was effective as ever, scoring 18 points and laying on 11 assists in the game.
The Rockets just didn’t look like ever slowing Minnesota down and their defensive ineptness cost them in the end, as head coach Kevin McHale explained after the game.
"We never found anything defensively that we could hang our hat on. ... It just felt like one of those games where we were stuck in the mud."
The Timberwolves started the game with a 6 – 0 burst but the first quarter was a fairly even affair. In fact, at the end of the period both teams were pretty close; Minnesota just ahead at 26 – 24.
Houston put on a spirited showing in the second period and attacked their opponents with gusto. Rockets were able to pile on 32 points but their defence wasn’t doing its job, as Minnesota were also able to score 28. The score at halftime was thus very close,
Houston ahead at 56 – 54.
The game really turned in the third quarter as the Timberwolves went berserk. The away team came out hot after the break and whipped up a hailstorm of points, pouring on 42 against a hapless Houston defence. The Rockets were simply no match for Minnesota’s
firepower and went into the final period behind at 96 – 81.
That deficit proved too much for the home side in the penultimate quarter, which seemed more of a formality at that point. The game ended with the Timberwolves in a comfortable position, up 120 – 108.
In a game that was all about the Timberwolves, Kevin Martin scored 29 points to give the Houston Rockets fans something to cheer about.
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