HOUSTON -- In the first game out of the NBA's All-Star break for both teams, the Rockets got a much-needed win in Friday's 121-115 victory at Toyota Center (box score) over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.
With the win, the fourth-seeded Rockets (35-21) moved 4.5 games ahead of the seventh-seeded Timberwolves (31-26) in the Western Conference standings while also securing a 2-2 split of the season series and potential tiebreaker. Teams in the No. 7 through No. 10 range have to go through the West play-in tournament to advance to the playoffs, so it's a much-needed buffer for Houston entering the home stretch of the 2024-25 season.
After being benched in Houston's previous game leading into the All-Star break, young stars Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun each responded in a big way in Houston's victory. Key stat lines included:
The Rockets are now 9-0 when Green scores 30 or more points this season. It also helped that he was more efficient than Edwards, who had been outstanding versus the Rockets in Minnesota's two head-to-head wins earlier this season (including one on Feb. 6). This time, led by the likes of Thompson, Smith, and Dillon Brooks, Houston was up for the challenge defensively.
"The plan is getting back to what we were doing," Green said postgame. "It may have been fatigue or injuries that set us back before the All-Star break, but we're trying to get back to doing what we do. And that's playing hard every night."
Both Green and Sengun had important baskets in the game's final two minutes as Houston finally gained separation to put Minnesota away.
Among injuries for the Rockets, starting point guard Fred VanVleet remained sidelined by the right ankle strain he suffered on Feb. 1. However, power forward Jabari Smith Jr. did return after a 22-game absence due to a left hand fracture.
The Timberwolves were without veteran center Rudy Gobert (low back spasms).
The Rockets will play night two of a split back-to-back on Saturday in Utah, with tipoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Central. The Jazz (13-41) will be on a back-to-back as well, though they were at home for both games (Utah hosted Oklahoma City on Friday).
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