December 23, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) passes the ball around Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images When the Rockets were in the national spotlight two weeks ago in the NBA Cup semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, poor shooting once again dwarfed Houston.
On Thursday, the Rockets ended their 3-0 road run with a 128-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, snapping a four-game winning streak since losing to the Thunder in Las Vegas. Underpinning the Rockets’ current success is an offense that has found its rhythm.
The Rockets are scheduled to open a five-game homestand against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Houston is shooting 48.1% during the win streak, including an impressive 57.4% from inside 3-point range. The Rockets have already established themselves as one of the best defensive teams in the league, but their inefficient offense has proven to be a stumbling block.
“We had the same look against OKC in Las Vegas and missed the same look,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said of the recent surge in shooting percentage. “It would have been nice to play against a team that filled the paint that night and tried to prove it.
“Guys are shooting with confidence and working on it. We’ve been getting our legs out from under us for a few days, and we’ve had some big shooting nights recently. And obviously, when you’re defending at that level, if we get shots, we get good results. “There will be,” he said.
Houston won the final two games of the road trip without forwards Dylan Brooks (ankle) and Tari Eason (leg), both games coming against the Timberwolves. Even without their defensive tandem, the Rockets have shown plenty of depth and their offense continues to thrive. The starting backcourt of Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet combined for 55 points against the Pelicans, while reserve Cam Whitmore scored a career-high 27 points.
Things seemed to be going well for the Timberwolves, with six wins in seven games before a Dec. 19 showdown with the New York Knicks, partners in an offseason trade that reshaped both rosters.
What followed was a 26-point loss that plunged Minnesota into another upset. A 105-99 home win over the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas Day lifted the Timberwolves back above .500, snapping a three-game losing streak.
Minnesota rolled the dice by sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season. The additions of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo took some time to come together.
Anthony Edwards continues to be a prop for the Timberwolves, and his late heroics prevented a massive collapse after Dallas cut a 28-point deficit to one point in the final minute. But Minnesota still has a bottom-10 offense despite Edwards’ impact, and their inability to find the right equipment is taking longer than expected.
“We have a good group,” Edwards said. “It’s important to be patient. You have to be patient to be able to come together because the teams are different. Sometimes it looks good, sometimes it looks bad, but we’re still trying to figure it out.
“I think patience will get us to the top. We can wait and figure it out, and once we figure it out, we’ll be okay.”
–Field level media
