Rockets to face T-Wolves in playoffs
First-round series to feature a lot of points, unlike regular-season finale loss to Kings
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — First team to 120 wins?
With the Rockets’ first-round opponent at last set, they might want to loosen up the 3-point shooting portion of their offense. The Rockets will open their most anticipated postseason in years against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a matchup of teams that typically light up the scoreboards and consistently have against one another.
The Rockets have been fine with that, sweeping the season series against the Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves did not end what had been the NBA’s longest postseason absence at 13 years until a smattering of Rockets had already begun their game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.
The Rockets — with James Harden, Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza, Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, Luc Mbah a Moute, Nene and Ryan Anderson out with injuries or for rest — lost to the Kings 96-83, with Gerald Green scoring 31 points, to complete their season with a franchisebest 65-17 record.
The Timberwolves rallied in overtime to eliminate the Denver Nuggets 112-106 to secure the last Western Conference playoff spot and a matchup against the top seed.
The winner of the Rockets Timber wolves series will face the winner of the Thunder-Jazz series.
Golden State will open against San Antonio, the team
the Warriors eliminated in the Western Conference finals last season, with the winner to advance to a second-round series against the Portland-New Orleans winner.
The Rockets will want to continue their offensive roll against the Timberwolves and take it from there.
The Rockets averaged 122.8 points on 50 percent shooting, 39.8 percent 3-point shooting in their four wins over Minnesota this season. But the games were generally close, most recently with an impressive and emotional Timberwolves’ comeback the Rockets repelled in the closing minutes.
The Timberwolves have one of the top offenses in the league, ranking fifth with only the Rockets and Warriors better in the conference. But the T-Wolves were just 23rd in defensive rating, ahead of only Cleveland among playoff teams. Towns, Teague tough
The Rockets were especially effective at taking advantage of Minnesota’s determination to defend the lane, particularly in the first meeting in Minneapolis when they tied the NBA record with 10 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
The Rockets led by as many as 25 points in the return to Minneapolis before things got testy and the T-Wolves rallied. Backup center Gorgui Dieng shoved Paul. Green retaliated and the TWolves rallied through an 11-0 run, eventually closing to within five. Harden, Paul and Ariza closed out the win, but the Rockets might have gained a sense that the TImberwolves will not be pushovers.
Timberwolves All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns averaged 23.8 points per game and 14.8 rebounds against the Rockets, which is generally to be expected from him. His Rockets counterpart, Clint Capela, nearly kept pace, averaging 18.8 points on 78.9 percent shooting and 10 rebounds in just 28.7 minutes against the Timberwolves.
T-Wolves point guard Jeff Teague added 18 points on 54.2 percent shooting. All-Star Jimmy Butler, who returned from the injury he suffered against the Rockets, has played well since coming back.
Andrew Wiggins has been wildly inconsistent against the Rockets, but he can be an offensive force. To all that, the T-Wolves add one of the all-time most irrepressible sixth men in Jamal Crawford. Defense the difference
The Rockets believe their vastly improved defense will slow Minnesota long enough for the Timberwolves not to have the 3-point shooting to keep pace. The Rockets were sixth in defensive rating this season. While Minnesota generally shot well against the Rockets, they relied on 2-pointers while the Rockets put up 3s.
There was no doubt the T-Wolves were impressive Wednesday, with the Rockets likely noticing in the pregame locker room.
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said he would “glance” in that direction, but more out of curiosity than for preparation.
“I’m sure our guys are scrambling a little bit,” D’Antoni said of the Rockets’ scouts and front office. “I’ll just look at the finished product. I don’t have to look at the two they discard.”
The Rockets can begin looking at the Timberwolves, not that the highscoring, often-intense games they already have played against them had been forgotten.