Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets Box Score on Apr 12, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Apr 12, 2017

HOUSTON -- James Harden recorded his 22nd triple-double and the Houston Rockets tuned up for the postseason with a 123-118 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the season finale for both on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.

Harden posted 27 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to pace a balanced scoring attack for the Rockets (55-27), whose win total matched the fourth-most in team history. Clint Capela (22 points, 10 rebounds) and Patrick Beverley (10 points, 10 boards) added a double-double while Ryan Anderson chipped in 20 points.

The Timberwolves (31-51) closed the regular season with six consecutive losses.

Karl-Anthony Towns totaled 28 points and 21 rebounds, one shy of his career high. Andrew Wiggins tallied 21 points and Shabazz Muhammad added 22 off the bench.

The Rockets drilled four 3-pointers to open the second half, seizing a 72-67 lead they would not relent. Houston finished 19 of 56 on treys.

One worrisome trend for the Rockets entering the postseason is their propensity to blow double-digit leads. Houston hit 5 of 7 3s darting to a 20-7 lead only to surrender that momentum with another cold spell from behind the arc.

While the Rockets missed 8 of 9 3-pointers down the stretch of the opening period, the Timberwolves surged ahead with a 19-5 run sparked by Towns and Wiggins.

Minnesota pushed that lead to 49-40 on a dazzling three-point play by Towns with 7:20 remaining in the first half, an effort that included Towns pump faking a corner 3-pointer before converting a reverse layup through contact. That was the culmination of an 11-3 run by the Timberwolves. Houston needed a late surge by Harden, three free throws and a driving layup, to pull even at 60-60 by the break.

NOTES: With his fifth and final assist of the first quarter, Rockets G James Harden became the first player in NBA history to record 2,000 points, 600 rebounds and 900 assists in a single season. ... Timberwolves C Karl-Anthony Towns became the first player in NBA history to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 100 3-pointers in a single season. ... Towns eclipsed the rebounds and 3-pointers thresholds on Wednesday. ... Rockets F Ryan Anderson finished 6 of 15 on 3-pointers, bumped his season total to 204 and joined teammates James Harden (262) and Eric Gordon (246) with at least 200 3-pointers this season. Rockets F Trevor Ariza went 2 for 8 from deep and closed the season with 191 3-pointers.