Rockets roll past Timberwolves, keep playoff hopes alive
MINNEAPOLIS — The Houston Rockets are doing their part. Now if only Utah and Dallas can help them out.
The Rockets, playing for their playoff lives, beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 129-105 on Monday. The victory keeps the Rockets in play for a postseason berth, but they remained a game behind eighth-seeded Utah when they boarded their private jet to Houston. Utah began playing Dallas an hour after the start of Rockets-Timberwolves.
If Utah loses, the Rockets move into a tie for the eighth seed with a game to play. If the Jazz win, the deficit remains a game, and we’ll have to worry about this again on Wednesday.
Wednesday could be a night of lasts:
Utah visits the Los Angeles Lakers in Kobe Bryant‘s last game, and Sacramento visits the Rockets in what could be Dwight Howard‘s last game in a Rockets uniform. DeMarcus Cousins isn’t playing for the Kings on Wednesday, and coming into Monday’s contests, the Kings are 3-12 when he doesn’t play.
If Utah and Houston finish the regular season tied, the Rockets win the tiebreaker.
Houston’s victory ended the Wolves’ impressive, three-game win streak, which included victories over Golden State and Portland. You would never have guessed their recent success by the way the Wolves played. They shot 45.8 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from 3, they trailed by as many as 23 in the first half, and they couldn’t contain Howard or James Harden.
Harden finished with 34 points in 32 minutes and sat out the entire fourth quarter.
Howard, a forgotten man in this offense who could leave this summer in free agency, attempted 11 shots. It was the first time he reached double-figures in attempts since March 12 at Charlotte. Howard was able to get pocket passes from Patrick Beverley and Harden and score on putbacks. He finished with 19 points and eight rebounds.
