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MINNESOTA
HOUSTON |
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206
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Final
120 |
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| 867 | MINNESOTA | 204 | 205.5 | | 868 | HOUSTON | -12.5 | -13.5 |
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| All Games | 16-55 | -15.4 | 30-39 | 37-34 | 97.9 | 47.6 | 43.7% | 50.7 | 105.7 | 53.4 | 48.4% | 50.8 | | Road Games | 7-29 | -1.4 | 16-19 | 18-18 | 98.3 | 47.6 | 43.9% | 50.9 | 108.4 | 54.7 | 48.8% | 51.0 | | Last 5 Games | 2-3 | +1.9 | 3-2 | 2-3 | 99.6 | 50.4 | 46.7% | 48.6 | 102.2 | 50.2 | 44.4% | 52.2 |
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| Team Stats (All Games) | 97.9 | 47.6 | 37-84 | 43.7% | 5-15 | 33.5% | 20-25 | 77.0% | 51 | 12 | 22 | 19 | 8 | 14 | 4 | | vs opponents surrendering | 99.8 | 49.7 | 37-84 | 44.6% | 8-22 | 34.9% | 17-23 | 75.3% | 52 | 11 | 22 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 5 | | Team Stats (Road Games) | 98.3 | 47.6 | 37-83 | 43.9% | 5-15 | 34.6% | 20-26 | 76.7% | 51 | 12 | 22 | 20 | 8 | 15 | 4 | | Stats Against (All Games) | 105.7 | 53.4 | 41-85 | 48.4% | 8-22 | 36.5% | 16-20 | 76.4% | 51 | 11 | 23 | 21 | 8 | 15 | 6 | | vs opponents averaging | 100.5 | 50.1 | 38-84 | 44.9% | 8-23 | 35.0% | 17-23 | 75.2% | 52 | 11 | 22 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 5 | | Stats Against (Road Games) | 108.4 | 54.7 | 42-86 | 48.8% | 9-24 | 37.8% | 16-21 | 75.6% | 51 | 12 | 25 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 6 |
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| All Games | 48-23 | +11.4 | 42-28 | 34-37 | 103.2 | 53.3 | 44.0% | 53.0 | 100.1 | 50.3 | 44.2% | 53.9 | | Home Games | 26-10 | +5.6 | 23-13 | 14-22 | 101.9 | 54.1 | 43.3% | 53.5 | 96.9 | 49.3 | 43.2% | 54.3 | | Last 5 Games | 4-1 | +0.7 | 4-1 | 3-2 | 106.4 | 55.8 | 47.7% | 50.0 | 102.4 | 50.4 | 45.6% | 51.6 |
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| Team Stats (All Games) | 103.2 | 53.3 | 37-84 | 44.0% | 11-33 | 34.5% | 18-25 | 72.6% | 53 | 12 | 22 | 22 | 9 | 16 | 5 | | vs opponents surrendering | 100.1 | 49.9 | 37-84 | 44.8% | 8-22 | 35.0% | 17-23 | 75.3% | 52 | 11 | 22 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 5 | | Team Stats (Home Games) | 101.9 | 54.1 | 36-84 | 43.3% | 11-33 | 34.4% | 18-25 | 72.1% | 53 | 12 | 22 | 21 | 10 | 16 | 5 | | Stats Against (All Games) | 100.1 | 50.3 | 37-85 | 44.2% | 7-23 | 31.7% | 18-24 | 75.6% | 54 | 12 | 21 | 21 | 9 | 16 | 5 | | vs opponents averaging | 100.4 | 49.9 | 38-84 | 45.0% | 8-22 | 35.1% | 17-23 | 75.3% | 52 | 11 | 22 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 5 | | Stats Against (Home Games) | 96.9 | 49.3 | 37-85 | 43.2% | 7-23 | 28.7% | 17-22 | 76.4% | 54 | 11 | 20 | 21 | 9 | 16 | 5 |
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| | Average power rating of opponents played: MINNESOTA 96.4, HOUSTON 95.8 |
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| 2/20/2015 | PHOENIX | 111-109 | W | -2 | T | 207 | O | 40-86 | 46.5% | 60 | 14 | 40-89 | 44.9% | 55 | 13 | | 2/23/2015 | @ HOUSTON | 102-113 | L | 8 | L | 213.5 | O | 31-93 | 33.3% | 70 | 20 | 39-94 | 41.5% | 62 | 16 | | 2/25/2015 | WASHINGTON | 97-77 | W | -2.5 | W | 200.5 | U | 35-81 | 43.2% | 59 | 16 | 33-87 | 37.9% | 47 | 19 | | 2/27/2015 | @ CHICAGO | 89-96 | L | 5.5 | L | 193.5 | U | 33-77 | 42.9% | 58 | 11 | 37-96 | 38.5% | 58 | 9 | | 2/28/2015 | MEMPHIS | 97-101 | L | 5.5 | W | 190 | O | 34-88 | 38.6% | 43 | 12 | 38-64 | 59.4% | 50 | 24 | | 3/2/2015 | LA CLIPPERS | 105-110 | L | 6.5 | W | 204.5 | O | 36-82 | 43.9% | 54 | 11 | 44-92 | 47.8% | 55 | 11 | | 3/4/2015 | DENVER | 85-100 | L | -7 | L | 208.5 | U | 32-82 | 39.0% | 51 | 12 | 42-92 | 45.7% | 58 | 13 | | 3/7/2015 | PORTLAND | 121-113 | W | 5 | W | 198.5 | O | 46-85 | 54.1% | 52 | 6 | 43-88 | 48.9% | 42 | 10 | | 3/9/2015 | @ LA CLIPPERS | 76-89 | L | 8 | L | 207.5 | U | 31-83 | 37.3% | 60 | 15 | 35-79 | 44.3% | 52 | 15 | | 3/11/2015 | @ PHOENIX | 97-106 | L | 5 | L | 205 | U | 36-81 | 44.4% | 38 | 10 | 45-90 | 50.0% | 57 | 16 | | 3/13/2015 | @ OKLAHOMA CITY | 99-113 | L | 10 | L | 212.5 | U | 34-78 | 43.6% | 48 | 20 | 44-101 | 43.6% | 56 | 16 | | 3/15/2015 | @ SAN ANTONIO | 97-123 | L | 14 | L | 207 | O | 38-86 | 44.2% | 44 | 15 | 49-84 | 58.3% | 45 | 14 | | 3/16/2015 | BROOKLYN | 106-122 | L | 5 | L | 197.5 | O | 41-88 | 46.6% | 40 | 16 | 52-90 | 57.8% | 51 | 14 | | 3/18/2015 | @ TORONTO | 100-105 | L | 11 | W | 209.5 | U | 42-87 | 48.3% | 52 | 18 | 35-79 | 44.3% | 46 | 12 | | 3/19/2015 | @ NEW YORK | 95-92 | W | 2 | W | 197 | U | 34-83 | 41.0% | 54 | 16 | 40-97 | 41.2% | 59 | 15 | | 3/22/2015 | CHARLOTTE | 98-109 | L | 5 | L | 198.5 | O | 41-74 | 55.4% | 38 | 13 | 45-89 | 50.6% | 46 | 7 | | 3/23/2015 | @ UTAH | 106-104 | W | 10.5 | W | 182 | O | 37-78 | 47.4% | 50 | 19 | 38-87 | 43.7% | 57 | 17 | | 3/25/2015 | LA LAKERS | 99-101 | L | -1 | L | 201.5 | U | 33-78 | 42.3% | 49 | 17 | 39-92 | 42.4% | 53 | 16 | | 3/27/2015 | @ HOUSTON | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3/29/2015 | @ NEW ORLEANS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3/30/2015 | UTAH | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/1/2015 | TORONTO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/3/2015 | ORLANDO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/7/2015 | @ SACRAMENTO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/8/2015 | @ PORTLAND | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/10/2015 | @ LA LAKERS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/11/2015 | @ GOLDEN STATE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| 2/20/2015 | @ DALLAS | 100-111 | L | 2.5 | L | 212 | U | 36-87 | 41.4% | 58 | 21 | 44-93 | 47.3% | 56 | 17 | | 2/21/2015 | TORONTO | 98-76 | W | -2 | W | 210.5 | U | 35-84 | 41.7% | 69 | 23 | 25-77 | 32.5% | 47 | 23 | | 2/23/2015 | MINNESOTA | 113-102 | W | -8 | W | 213.5 | O | 39-94 | 41.5% | 62 | 16 | 31-93 | 33.3% | 70 | 20 | | 2/25/2015 | LA CLIPPERS | 110-105 | W | -3.5 | W | 218.5 | U | 36-88 | 40.9% | 57 | 9 | 40-91 | 44.0% | 60 | 15 | | 2/27/2015 | BROOKLYN | 102-98 | W | -8 | L | 208 | U | 39-84 | 46.4% | 47 | 13 | 38-85 | 44.7% | 49 | 16 | | 3/1/2015 | CLEVELAND | 105-103 | W | -1 | W | 207 | O | 34-74 | 45.9% | 49 | 19 | 40-98 | 40.8% | 66 | 15 | | 3/3/2015 | @ ATLANTA | 96-104 | L | 8.5 | W | 199 | O | 39-90 | 43.3% | 48 | 12 | 39-86 | 45.3% | 58 | 15 | | 3/4/2015 | MEMPHIS | 100-102 | L | -3 | L | 196 | O | 42-86 | 48.8% | 41 | 12 | 42-83 | 50.6% | 47 | 9 | | 3/6/2015 | DETROIT | 103-93 | W | -7.5 | W | 208 | U | 38-91 | 41.8% | 68 | 19 | 37-102 | 36.3% | 58 | 12 | | 3/7/2015 | @ DENVER | 114-100 | W | -4 | W | 215.5 | U | 40-86 | 46.5% | 64 | 22 | 38-92 | 41.3% | 48 | 18 | | 3/11/2015 | @ PORTLAND | 100-105 | L | 2.5 | L | 207 | U | 38-91 | 41.8% | 47 | 11 | 42-92 | 45.7% | 69 | 19 | | 3/12/2015 | @ UTAH | 91-109 | L | -2 | L | 191.5 | O | 34-79 | 43.0% | 42 | 9 | 44-92 | 47.8% | 66 | 12 | | 3/15/2015 | @ LA CLIPPERS | 100-98 | W | 5 | W | 213.5 | U | 32-86 | 37.2% | 55 | 12 | 36-82 | 43.9% | 62 | 20 | | 3/17/2015 | ORLANDO | 107-94 | W | -11 | W | 206.5 | U | 39-78 | 50.0% | 56 | 14 | 38-89 | 42.7% | 48 | 10 | | 3/19/2015 | DENVER | 118-108 | W | -7.5 | W | 214.5 | O | 37-83 | 44.6% | 59 | 16 | 42-93 | 45.2% | 54 | 15 | | 3/21/2015 | PHOENIX | 102-117 | L | -7.5 | L | 207 | O | 41-87 | 47.1% | 44 | 18 | 46-92 | 50.0% | 57 | 14 | | 3/23/2015 | @ INDIANA | 110-100 | W | -1.5 | W | 203 | O | 31-65 | 47.7% | 41 | 19 | 40-90 | 44.4% | 52 | 18 | | 3/25/2015 | @ NEW ORLEANS | 95-93 | W | 1 | W | 203.5 | U | 40-81 | 49.4% | 50 | 18 | 34-75 | 45.3% | 47 | 13 | | 3/27/2015 | MINNESOTA | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3/29/2015 | @ WASHINGTON | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3/30/2015 | @ TORONTO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/1/2015 | SACRAMENTO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/2/2015 | @ DALLAS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/5/2015 | @ OKLAHOMA CITY | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/8/2015 | @ SAN ANTONIO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/10/2015 | SAN ANTONIO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4/12/2015 | NEW ORLEANS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| |  | MINNESOTA: GUARDS: RICKY RUBIO is a fine ball-handler and creative passer, but it would be nice if he knocked down some shots . . . The Wolves are still trying to move KEVIN MARTIN's contract. He has devolved into more of a spot-up shooter . . . ANDREW WIGGINS should immediately contribute for this team. He'll be an elite defender, sooner rather than later, and should be able to produce points as well . . . Shoot-first combo guard MO WILLIAMS will head up the second unit . . . J.J. BAREA is also likely to be moved. He can still do the Mighty Mouse, sixth-man thing . . . On paper, CHASE BUDINGER is a great fit alongside Rubio due to his shooting and movement off the ball. He has to stay healthy though . . . Head coach Flip Saunders is high on ZACH LaVINE, a pure athlete who didn't do much of anything as a freshman at UCLA. FORWARDS: THADDEUS YOUNG is now the best player in this Timberwolves frontcourt. He'll lead the team in scoring and eats up rebounds as well . . . ANTHONY BENNETT should play some significant minutes with this team. He's a good scorer and will try to prove that he was just not ready to come into a bad situation last season . . . COREY BREWER has established himself as a solid defender on the wing who can knock down some threes and run the floor well . . . GLENN ROBINSON III should earn immediate minutes due to his defense . . . SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD gets new life with a new coaching regime coming in. He could be a crafty second-unit scorer . . . RONNY TURIAF is a big body who can protect the rim. CENTERS: NIKOLA PEKOVIC is a big part of this offense without needing plays designed for him. He's arguably the top offensive rebounder in the NBA . . . GORGUI DIENG impressed late last season and should be ready for a bigger role. He and Pekovic might be in a timeshare by the season's second half. | | HOUSTON: GUARDS: The postseason was a different story for JAMES HARDEN, but he was a dominant all-around performer during the past two regular seasons. He'll do the bulk of the ball-handling for the up-tempo Rockets . . . After looking for an upgrade during the offseason, it's back to PATRICK BEVERLEY at the point. He's the No. 4 or 5 option on offense, but his defense will keep him on the floor . . . There's little backcourt depth, so rookie NICK JOHNSON has a shot at the rotation. He's NBA-ready as a defender, but his offensive game is shaky . . . ISH SMITH will push for that back-up point guard job . . . ISAIAH CANAAN will have to shoot the lights out early to get a look in the rotation . . . FRANCISCO GARCIA is still here as a 3-and-D option. FORWARDS: TREVOR ARIZA slides into Chandler Parsons' old role, providing defense and three-point shooting. He has a chance for a career-best output offensively . . . The Rockets know they need an upgrade over TERRENCE JONES, but they struck out during the offseason. He's a hustle guy, but he's too much of a defensive liability at the 4-spot . . . After disappearing last season, DONATAS MOTIEJUNAS has a chance to play himself into a thin frontcourt rotation. He's a potential 7-foot floor spacer . . . JEFF ADRIEN will be a "little things" guy in the second unit . . . They wanted to leave CLINT CAPELA overseas, but he'll be in Houston. He might be the future at the 4-spot, but he's years away . . . KOSTAS PAPANIKOLAOU has potential as a versatile bench option. CENTERS: DWIGHT HOWARD looked healthy again and was, at times, dominant. His game still has obvious flaws, namely free-throw shooting and an inability to step away from the basket, but there's no reason he can't flirt with 20-10 nightly while being among the league leaders in blocks . . . Ex-Rocket JOEY DORSEY returns after a strong stint in Spain. He'll bring some muscle (and six fouls) behind Howard. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER PRO BASKETBALL PREVIEW (MINNESOTA-HOUSTON) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Timberwolves-Rockets Preview* ==============================
By KEVIN CHROUST STATS Writer
Minnesota (16-55) at Houston (48-23), 8:00 p.m. EDT
The Houston Rockets are on the verge of securing a playoff spot, and they've got their long-absent star big man back to complement MVP candidate James Harden.
The team focus, however, might be on Harden now getting used to playing without his backcourt mate as Patrick Beverley ponders potential season-ending wrist surgery.
The Rockets will play a second straight game without Beverley on Friday night, but it comes against a visiting Minnesota Timberwolves team dealing with an entire roster's worth of ailments.
Houston (48-23) rallied for a 95-93 win in New Orleans on Wednesday and can clinch a playoff spot Friday with a victory. It was Dwight Howard's first action in 27 games because of a knee injury, and the center eased into things with four points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes.
He wasn't lacking opinions on what needs to change for Houston to reach its full potential after it fell behind by 15 after the first quarter.
"One thing I kept telling the fellas was, we've got to stop playing around with the game," Howard said. "We're on a big mission to win a championship, and we've got to wake up and play."
Beverley missed the game and will be out for at least a week because of torn ligaments in his left wrist. The injury will then be re-evaluated with the team hoping he can put off a potentially season-ending operation. The Rockets certainly haven't struggled without him this season, posting a 13-2 record with six straight wins.
Harden had 25 points Wednesday, a relatively mild scoring night considering the numbers he's put up lately (36.7 points in his previous three), but it was his third straight game in the absence of Beverley with 10 assists. The Rockets are 19-5 when Harden has at least eight assists.
"Now I'm able to go out there and dominate a game not just by scoring the basketball," Harden said. "Whether it's defensively, whether it's rebounding the basketball, whether it's getting 15 assists a night, just being able to dominate a game and figuring out a way to do it."
In his last five games against Minnesota, Harden is averaging 30.6 points and 8.8 assists, including a triple-double (31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists) in the latest meeting.
That 113-102 win in Houston on Feb. 23 made the Rockets to 3-0 in the season series, and they've won seven of the last eight against Minnesota (16-55). Andrew Wiggins had 30 points on 12-of-24 shooting, and the Timberwolves have been similarly leaning on him lately with most of the roster injured.
Wiggins had 27 in Wednesday's 101-99 home overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the rookie has averaged 20.5 points in his last four games.
The Timberwolves have gone to overtime in three of their last four - including its past two on the road for its first away winning streak of the season.
"The good thing about us is we're young, so we don't get tired easily," said Wiggins, who played more than 48 minutes for the second straight game.
That's an optimistic take for someone who's playing without nearly every other impact player on his team.
Kevin Martin (hamstring), Ricky Rubio (ankle), Gary Neal (ankle), Nikola Pekovic (ankle) and Kevin Garnett (knee) have all missed varying amounts of time up to 10 games, not to mention longer-term injuries to Shabazz Muhammad (finger) and Anthony Bennett (ankle).
Martin, Rubio and Garnett are expected to play again this season with Martin's return likely most imminent.
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| | Last Updated: 4/25/2024 1:18:40 PM EST. |
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