Rockets run away from Timberwolves for 11th win in a row

Posted: February 23, 2018 -- 11:04 pm CST.

HOUSTON, TX (Toyota Center) -- The Houston Rockets used a third-quarter surge to increase a one point halftime lead into a 120-102 blowout victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night. James Harden scored a game-high 31 points; however, Harden did not shoot the ball particularly well. Harden missed 16 of his 24 field goal attempts; in the game; however, Harden was a perfect 12 for 12 from the free throw line.

With tonight's win, the Rockets have won 11 games in a row and are 18-2 over their past 20 games.

The Rockets out-rebounded Minnesota 50-42.

"That’s what it is going to come down to. Limiting teams to one shot, a tough shot and then we just have to gang rebound," said James Harden. "You know, once we gang rebound, we are off to the races. So if we don’t, it makes it harder for our offense and then our defense. So, we just have to continue to focus on limiting to one shot, gang rebounds and then taking it from there."

The Rockets (45-13) were sluggish the first six minutes of the ball game and trailed the Timberwolves (36-26) by as much as nine points in the first quarter. Harden scored 13 points in the opening quarter to pull the Rockets within 6 (32-26) at the end of the first period.

Houston went on a 13-2 run in the first 5:04 of the second quarter to lead 39-34.

The Timberwolves tied the game at 45; then, the T-wolves went on a 7-1 run to lead 52-46 with 1:46 remaining in the first half.

James Harden began a 9-2 Rockets' run by sinking two free throws. Next, Harden dished to P.J. Tucker for a corner three-point shot. Chris Paul dished a beautiful bounce pass to Clint Capela for a slam dunk; and, lastly, Harden raced up the court and scored a driving lay-up with 26.3 seconds remaining for a 55-54 halftime lead.

Seven Rockets scored points in the third quarter as Houston outscored Minnesota 33-21 and led 88-75 through three quarters. Harden scored 9 in the third on 3 for 9 field goal shooting.

The Rockets maintained a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter in the first six minutes of the fourth. The T-wolves got within nine points two times (last, 101-92 with 4:44 on the clock); but, Clint Capela sank four free throws before Chris Paul shook Minnesota big man Nemanja Bjelica with a beautiful crossover to cap a 6-0 run and boost the Rockets' lead to 107-92 with 3:28 remaining in the game.

Houston outscored Minnesota 13-10 down the stretch to close out the victory.

He has scored 30+ points in four of the past seven games after doing so once over his first nine games played in the New Year.  Since joining the Rockets in 2012-13, Harden has scored 30+ points 179 times, which is 35 more than any other player in the league.  He is averaging a league-high 31.3 ppg overall this season.

Clint Capela had 25 points and 11 rebounds tonight while shooting 10-of-11 from the floor.  He has recorded a double-double in a career-high five straight games.  The Rockets improve to 20-2 when Capela scores 15+ points this season, including 10-0 when he scores 20 or more.  He scored 20+ points seven times over his first three seasons combined.

"He’s (Capela) just a smart player in the sense that he gets in the right spots at the right time," Rockets Head Coach Mike D'Antoni said after the game. "He’s got great hands, he’s obviously long as heck and he can finish. He just understands James (Harden) and Chris (Paul), where he needs to get to in an open spot. You don’t teach it. You try to, but he has innate to be able to do it."

Chris Paul had 14 points and 10 rebounds tonight, marking his 11th double-double of the season and his third with 10 or more rebounds, including one triple-double.  The last time Paul grabbed 10 plus rebounds at least three times in a single season was a career-best six times in 2008-09.  He is averaging a career-high 5.8 rpg overall this season.

Minnesota Head Coach Tom Thibodeaux said, "I thought the first half we did some good things. Against a team like this (the Rockets) you have to play for 48 minutes, we’ve seemed to hit a lull in the third quarter it hovered around 10 and you know we have to play tougher against these guys. (Clint) Capela really hurt us.”

"You have to keep going against them, they’re a team that can score a lot of points, and they did in the second half. And you have to finish your defense, and can’t give them second and third opportunities. Our defense wasn’t as good in the second half as we needed it to be."

The Rockets hit 14 3-pointers tonight.  Houston has now hit at least 10 3-pointers in 54 straight games, which is twice as long as the previous NBA record of 27 consecutive games set by the Rockets last season.

The Rockets next game is Sunday, February 25, at Denver, at 7 p.m.

CLICK HERE for The HRR's Rockets' write-ups.