Houston Rockets Rally to Defeat Wolves in OT: Player Grades

The Houston Rockets trailed the Timberwolves by 12 with just over two minutes left in regulation. Not willing to quit, they stormed back to force overtime and eventually got their tenth win in a row.

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Minnesota looked like the better team for the majority of the night. They out-rebounded the Rockets, made a higher percentage of their shots, and controlled the game for the first 45 minutes. The night after the Houston Rockets set an NBA record for most made threes in a game, they stumbled out of the gate, making only 7 of their first 29 triples.

By the end of the third quarter, the Rox trailed by 14 and had allowed Karl-Anthony Towns to total 33 points and 10 boards. He ended up with 41 and 15, shooting better than 50% from the field.

However, things did get better eventually for the Rockets, but it took until the final minutes of regulation. They closed the fourth quarter by making 5 of their last 6 threes while forcing significant stops. Ryan Anderson and Trevor Ariza both hit two threes from in the final two minutes and change, allowing the Rockets to get an extra five minutes to seal the win in overtime.

Go to the next page for player grades from last night’s comeback victory.

Dec 17, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) back ups towards the basket as Houston Rockets forward Ryan Anderson (3) plays defense in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Rockets’ frontcourt hit a combined four threes in the final two minutes to force overtime.

Trevor Ariza

SF, Houston Rockets

B-Ariza struggled for the majority of the night, shooting 3/11 from three and 4/16 overall. He was tasked with guarding Andrew Wiggins for a large part of the night, though, and held him to 13 points on 5/17 shooting. In a game that was decided in overtime, his defensive contributions, along with his two threes in the closing seconds, made up for his off night.

Ryan Anderson

PF, Houston Rockets

ALast night’s was one of Anderson’s best contests in a Rockets uniform. He wasn’t a threat through much of the second and third quarters, but started and finished hot. He ended with 28 points on 9/19 shooting, including a blistering 7/16 from three. Not normally known as a defensive player, he also added 3 steals and a block to his stat line for the evening.

Clint Capela

C, Houston Rockets

BClint Capela exited the game early in the third quarter with a bruised left leg and did not return, but totaled 10 points and 4 boards on 5/5 shooting before he left. He had a difficult time containing Towns for the majority of his time on the court.Next: Starting Backcourt Grades

Dec 17, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins (22) fight for the ball in the second half at Target Center. The Rockets won 111-109 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Houston’s backcourt tandem put up stat lines that are exactly what you’d expect from them.

James Harden

PG, Houston Rockets

In addition to his stat line last night, the good was that his passing and court vision led the Rockets to victory. He assisted on 3 of the last 4 threes to force overtime and then scored 10 of his team’s 16 points in the extra frame. However, he also accrued 5 fouls, turned the ball over 7 times, and shot 3/11 from three. The good most definitely outweighs the bad, but he’s capable of better.

Patrick Beverley

SG, Houston Rockets

B+Patrick Beverley is the Draymond Green of guards, and put up a stat line that fits the description. He totaled 6 points, 4 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 5 fouls. Only 2 of his 6 shots found the bottom of the net, but otherwise he performed exactly as the Rockets need him to. He was tasked with guarding Ricky Rubio, and held him to just 7 points on 2/7 shooting.Next: Best Bench Player/Best Opponent

Dec 17, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) points the the bench after making a three pointer in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Rockets won 111-109 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Both the decisions on who to feature on this page were no-brainers. Gordon and Towns didn’t have any competition.

Eric Gordon

SG, Houston Rockets

A-Eric Gordon was the only player off Houston’s bench to score more than 4 points. The should-be Sixth Man of the Year totaled 20 points on 7/15 shooting, along with 4 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. He’s also made more threes than anyone other than Stephen Curry this season, and only trails him by 2.

Karl-Anthony Towns

C, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Rockets take on the the San Antonio Spurs next, but have two full days of rest before that happens. Houston and San Antonio are 1-1 on the season, so Tuesday’s game should be a good one to watch.

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