Rockets 107, Timberwolves 89: Chandler Parsons scored 20 points and James Harden added 19 as visiting Houston pulled away from Minnesota to claim a season-best sixth consecutive win.
Dwight Howard racked up 18 points and 15 rebounds for his ninth double-double in the past 11 games for the Rockets, who are a season-high 18 games above .500. Terrence Jones and Patrick Beverley each chipped in 14 points as Houston won its 13th straight game when scoring at least 100 points.
Kevin Love tallied 31 points and 10 rebounds for his league-leading 43rd double-double for the Timberwolves, who have dropped four straight — their longest skid of the season. Chase Budinger scored 15 points and Alexey Shved added 11 off the bench for Minnesota, which was without starters Nikola Pekovic (ankle) and Kevin Martin (thumb) and coach Rick Adelman (personal reasons) as assistant Terry Porter ran the club.
The Timberwolves whittled a nine-point halftime deficit down to three early in the third quarter but missed their next seven shots as Houston rattled off a 12-0 run to spread it back out to 79-64. Beverley and Francisco Garcia hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cap the stretch, but Minnesota answered with a 14-3 spurt to close the period and pull within 82-78 entering the fourth.
Parsons scored six points as the Rockets reeled off an 11-0 run to start the final stanza, and Houston outscored the Timberwolves 25-11 in the period. Minnesota's only bucket in the first six-plus minutes of the fourth quarter — a runner at the end of the shot clock by J.J. Barea — was disallowed after a review showed it came after the shot clock expired.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Love moved into fourth place on the Timberwolves' all-time scoring list, surpassing Doug West (6,216). … Houston's 67 points are the most the Timberwolves have allowed in the first half this season. … All five Houston starters scored in double figures for the 12th time this season.
Houston | Minnesota | |
Chandler Parsons 20 | Scoring | Kevin Love 31 |
Jeremy Lin 7 | Assists | Ricky Rubio 9 |
Dwight Howard 15 | Rebounds | Kevin Love 10 |
James Harden 8 | Free Throws Made | Kevin Love 12 |
Patrick Beverley 3 | Steals | Corey Brewer 2 |
Dwight Howard 3 | Blocks | Ricky Rubio 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Houston | 107 | 47.6 | 11-27 | 18-20 | 25 | 46 | 4 | 10 | 19 |
Minnesota | 89 | 35.6 | 6-25 | 21-21 | 20 | 43 | 3 | 8 | 17 |