Wolves fall to Rockets in Mexico City

Wednesday night’s NBA “Global Game” was expected to be an easy victory for the Houston Rockets, and it ultimately was, with James Harden and company conquering the Wolves by a final score of 113-101.

The Ricky Rubio-less Minnesota Timberwolves played the 6-1 Rockets tight from the opening tap until about midway through the third quarter, keeping up with the favorites’ three-point-happy ways by forcing the older team to play more of an up-and-down game than they were comfortable with.

The Wolves used the 7,000+ foot altitude to their advantage early. Rookie point guard Zach LaVine blew by the Rockets’ Isaiah Canaan with consistency, initiating the Wolves’ offense with four assists in the opening frame. Andrew Wiggins stayed with Harden well on the defensive end of the floor, and beat the superstar badly on a baseline spin for a highlight reel-worthy dunk.

Harden ultimately shot just 5 of 14 in the first half while Wiggins posted 9 points on 4 of 8 shooting. The halftime score was 53-49 in favor of the Rockets.

The Wolves had a tough time guarding Dwight Howard as he shot 5 of 9 in the first half en route to 13 points (5-9 FGs, 3-3 FTs) and 6 rebounds. Nikola Pekovic, on the other hand, struggled to assert himself on the other end of the floor while only getting up six shots, making two of them.

The third quarter began with the Houston Rockets doing exactly what we all expected them to do: playing tough defense on the Wolves’ young guards, doubling Pekovic in the post, and scoring efficiently on the offensive end.

After the Rockets built the first double-digit lead of the game early in the third quarter, the Wolves managed to whittle it back down to just four before Houston dragged it back up to 84-70 by the end of the the third. Minnesota struggled offensively, missing their first seven shots of the second half, and Houston remembered how to create open jumpers and rolls to the rim. At that point, the game was as good as over.

The Rockets began the fourth quarter with a barrage of three pointers while the Wolves continued to get into any semblance of rhythm on offense. For what it’s worth, the Wolves were only down by a score of 68-64 when Wiggins exited the game midway through the third quarter after picking up his fourth foul.

While Wiggins was playing very good defense on Harden, he still wasn’t successfully asserting himself on offense. All things considered, however, it was a solid performance for this year’s first overall pick. His defensive instincts and raw offensive ability are good enough that Wolves fans are more than warranted to be excited about the future.

The fourth quarter saw Ronny Turiaf play his first minutes of the season, but not much else of note happened. The final score was 113-101.

Quick Notes:

– Of note: the Wolves only attempted 7 three-pointers until late in the fourth quarter when the game got out of hand. Seven! That won’t get it done. (The Wolves finished 6 of 12 from deep, but in comparison to the Rocket’s 13 of 28, its extremely depressing.)

– Zach LaVine was very good in the first half and largely passable in the second. His line: 8 points on 2 of 9 shooting from the floor and 4 of 4 from the free throw line, 9 assists, and 3 turnovers in 34 minutes of playing time. He played well, and is unmistakably quick in the open court. The main issues are what we thought they were: decision-making in regards to scoring and passing, and strength on defense and on the glass. All things considered, however, he had a good performance.

– Pekovic was dominated by Howard on both ends of the floor. When the Houston center was able to get a face-up situation in a favorable spot on the floor, Pek simply did not have the quickness to stay with Howard. The Wolves’ center finished with 11 points on 4 of 10 shooting and 13 rebounds in 28 minutes.

– Mo Williams was terrible off the bench. Not much else needs to be said. Also, 0 of 5 shooting, 6 assists, and 2 turnovers in 14 minutes.

– The Wolves will be in New Orleans on Friday night for a showdown against Anthony Davis and the Pelicans. It should be a great game, and outside of Davis, the Wolves match up very well with Monty Williams‘ squad. Tip-off is at 7:00 Central Time.

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