FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
Playing keep away
1 In the season opener in Minneapolis, the Rockets committed 24 turnovers, allowing 38 points off them. This would become typical of both teams. The Rockets commit the most turnovers in the NBA, allowing the most points off them. The Timberwolves force the most turnovers and score the most points off turnovers per game. The Rockets, however, have improved in that area lately. In the past 10 games, they have given up 17.4 points off turnovers per game, ranking 20th in the league.
Though their 15.2 turnovers per game in that stretch is still more than all but two teams, it is fewer than they were averaging.
Does Jalen Green keep it going?
2 The guard has scored at least 30 points in three straight, matching the longest run of 30point games for a Rockets rookie since Elvin Hayes had two fourgame streaks scoring at least 30 in the 1968-69 season with the San Diego Rockets. Green’s run of five games with at least five 3pointers is tied for the eighth-longest in NBA history. His streak of games making at least six 3s is tied for the fifth longest.
Centers of attention
3 Rookie Alperen Sengun is expected to be back after missing two games with a bruised thigh. Sengun returns in time for the particularly tough matchup with the Timberwolves’ KarlAnthony Towns. Towns has averaged 35 points on 65 percent shooting, making 7 of 10 3-pointers while averaging 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists against the Rockets this season. The Rockets could have their hands full with Towns more than most teams. In their past five games, opposing centers — Drew Eubanks, Jakob Poeltl and Damian Jones — combined to average 18 points per game, roughly double their combined average this season.
Battle of backcourts
4 The Timberwolves can assign Pat Beverley to defend Green, hoping to use their defensive stopper to slow the Rockets rookie’s recent surge. The point could feature a similar matchup of effective scorers. Kevin Porter Jr. has had six 20-point games since the start of March, as many as he had in the rest of the season combined. In the first three games of the homestand, he has averaged 27.7 points on 49.2 percent shooting, along with an average of 10 assists, 8.3 rebounds and just two turnovers. D’Angelo Russell is averaging 18 points and seven assists.
Matchup of super sophomores
5 The Rockets’ Jae’Sean Tate usually defends power forwards but could get time with the shooting guard assignment to slow the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, the top-scoring, second-year player in the NBA. Edwards has averaged 21 points on 43.6 percent shooting and 36 percent 3-point shooting. He has averaged 24 points against the Rockets. Tate, with the secondmost career starts of any secondyear player, has been shooting well in recent games, making 50 percent of his 3s in his past five games.
INJURY/STATUS REPORT
Rockets: Guard Dennis Schröder (left shoulder soreness), guard Eric Gordon (right groin soreness), center Christian Wood (left hamstring tightness), guard John Wall (not with team), forward Trevelin Queen (G League assignment) and forward Anthony Lamb (G League assignment) are out. Timberwolves: Forward Jaden McDaniels (left ankle sprain) and guard McKinley Wright IV (G League assignment) are out. Guard Malik Beasley (left ankle sprain) is questionable.