Wolves can’t slow down hot-shooting Rockets

Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 37 points, but it wasn’t enough Friday night.

By Nolan O’Hara , Sports illustrated – February 22, 2025

It was anyone’s game in the final minutes, but nothing was falling for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

That added up to a 121-115 loss to the Houston Rockets Friday night at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Trailing 113-110 with just over two minutes remaining, Anthony Edwards missed a contested midrange jumper when he had Mike Conley open in the corner. After a stop, Jaden McDaniels had a wide-open looking at a game-tying 3-pointer. It bounced off the rim. Alpereen Sengun made a difficult jumper off the glass on the other end before Edwards missed another 3. Jalen Green got to a rim the next possession for a 117-110 lead with 48 seconds remaining to all but ice it.

Edwards scored a game-high 37 points but was held mostly quiet down the stretch, scoring just three points in the fourth quarter. Green, on the other hand, scored nine points in the final frame on his way to a team-high 35 for the game. Green was also an incredibly efficient 12 for 24 from the field, 5 for 11 from 3, and added five rebounds and four assists. Edwards also added four rebounds and three assists and shot 13 for 32 from the field, but just 4 for 14 from long range.

It was a back-and-forth battle that featured numerous ties and lead changes. The Wolves were hurt without the presence of Rudy Gobert, who was ruled out just before the game due to back spasms. That left Naz Reid to match up against Sengun, and Reid found himself in foul trouble, having to sit for an extended stretch in the third quarter after picking up his fourth foul and again in the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth foul early in the frame. Reid did still have 22 points and eight rebounds but played 34 minutes on a night other starters were pushing 40 or more minutes while short-handed.

Conley returned to the lineup for the Wolves after missing the past four games after dislocating his finger in the last matchup against the Rockets on Feb. 6. It was a slow start for Conley, who picked up a couple early fouls in the first few minutes of the game. He ultimately played 24 minutes and finished with five points and five assists but missed all three of his attempts from the field. His presence as a floor general was evident, however, as the Wolves had just nine turnovers.

The Rockets (35-21) turned it over 20 times, which translated to 26 points for the Wolves (31-26).

Rob Dillingham had a highlight in the second quarter when Reid found him in running in transition and Dillingham threw down an emphatic slam. Dillingham got a steal the next defensive possession to make it a highlight sequence. But a couple possessions later, Dillingham took a bad 3-pointer that appeared to frustrate coach Chris Finch. After a defensive possession shortly after, Finch called timeout and yelled something towards Dillingham. He didn’t see the court again.

The Wolves had no answers for the Rockets in the first quarter. Edwards was red-hot with 15 points, but so was Jalen Green, who scored 13 of his own in the opening frame. And he wasn’t the only one hot for Houston, which shot 17 for 23 (74%) from the field in the opening 12 minutes, including 6 of 8 from 3-point range. The Rockets were dominant in the paint with the Wolves down Gobert. Sengun had 24 points and 13 rebounds, though he did have eight turnovers.

Houston scored 48 points in the first quarter, the most points the Wolves have given up in a quarter all season.

The Rockets shot 50% overall for the game.

McDaniels finished with 21 points and six rebounds. Nickeil Alexander-Walker played a game-high 43 minutes and finished with 16 points and five rebounds. Terrence Shannon Jr. had another impressive game off the bench on both ends, finishing with six points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a team-best plus-minus of plus-10.

The Wolves will look to bounce back when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder for an 8:30 p.m. tipoff Sunday night.

PHOTO: Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards drives to the basket as Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and guard Jalen Green (4) defend during the first quarter at Toyota Center in Houston on Feb. 21, 2025. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images