Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets: Match Preview and Predictions - 11th January 2020
Match Details
Fixture: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets
Date & Time: Saturday, 11 January 2020 (5:00 PM ET)
Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Last Game Results
Minnesota Timberwolves (15-22): 116-102 win over Portland Trail Blazers (9 January, Thursday)
Houston Rockets (25-12): 92-113 loss to Oklahoma City Thunder (9 January, Thursday)
Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
With Karl-Anthony Towns having missed 12 games now (longest absence of his career) due to a left knee sprain - after a hard fall against the Clippers on Dec. 13 - the Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to not lose too many games till he returns.
So far, the T-Wolves are 5-5 in their last ten matchups and find themselves down at the 11th spot on the West standings with an unimpressive 15-22 (0.405) win-loss record.
Key Player - Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins has led the Minnesota unit in Towns' absence, averaging over 24 points per game this season so far. Shooting almost 45% from the field, Wiggins has been showcasing All-Star caliber all season long.
He is playing over 35 minutes per contest and doing the majority of offensive heavy lifting for the Timberwolves, along with averaging 5.3 rebounds and 1 swat per game as well.
Timberwolves Predicted Lineup
Robert Covington, Andrew Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Napier, Jarrett Culver.
Houston Rockets Preview
In the backdrop of Russell Westbrook's return to Oklahoma, the Houston Rockets endured a really rough night when they visited the Thunder. They had their three-game winning streak and James Harden has a season-low 17 points at the end of the night.
The bigger picture is that the Rockets are currently 25-12 (0.676) on the season, sitting at a crammed-up fifth spot on the West standings. They possess the second-best offensive rating in the league (114.2) but are yet to break out in a major way from a collective standpoint.
Key Player - James Harden
James Harden's scoring numbers have been mesmerizing for a third straight year. He is averaging almost 38 points this season, along with 6 boards and 7.5 assists per game.
Despite attempting over 13 three-pointers per matchup, Harden is able to make 38% of his long-range attempts this year, although at the expense of 4.7 turnovers. His efficiency has been at par with his high-volume isolation prowess, making him the front-runner for the MVP hardware.
Rockets Predicted Lineup
PJ Tucker, Clint Capela, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Daniel House Jr.
Timberwolves vs Rockets Match Prediction
Although Clint Capela is questionable for this game, the Rockets might just power through this one at home. The T-Wolves are being overly-cautious with Towns, which gives Houston a chance to grab an easy one before flying out to Memphis.
Where to watch Timberwolves vs Rockets?
There will be local coverage of the game on AT&T Sportsnet - Southwest and Fox Sports North from 5:00 PM (ET). You can also live stream the game via NBA League Pass.