Donte DiVincenzo, Wolves end Rockets winning streak
Donte DiVincenzo scored 11 of his 18 points to spark a fourth-quarter rally, and Terrrence Shannon Jr. chipped in 23 points off the bench as the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves snapped the host Houston Rockets' eight-game winning streak with a 136-132 victory on Friday.
Anthony Edwards scored 22 points in his return after missing 10 of the previous 12 games, including a dagger 3-pointer with 50.5 seconds left that silenced the Rockets (51-30) for good.
Minnesota (48-33) played without starters Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert and sixth man Naz Reid and used a balanced attack to subdue the Rockets. Kyle Anderson paired 17 points with a game-high nine assists while Jaden McDaniels added 16 points and seven rebounds. Ayo Dosunmu chipped in 15 points off the bench while Mike Conley finished 3 for 3 from deep.
The Timberwolves shot 57.3% from the floor, including 15 of 30 from behind the arc.
Amen Thompson scored a career-high 41 points to pace the Rockets and added nine rebounds and seven assists. Kevin Durant posted 33 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Alperen Sengun totaled 22 points and eight assists. Houston scored 86 points in the paint.
Houston took its first double-digit lead at 91-81 on four Jabari Smith Jr. free throws, but the Timberwolves responded with a 15-4 run that included two Edwards treys and a transition 3 from Conley. DiVincenzo and Shannon then caught fire in the fourth to lift Minnesota to a 130-120 lead.
Durant and Thompson combined for 26 points on 12-for-14 shooting in the first quarter, but the Timberwolves carried a 37-36 lead into the second after converting three Houston turnovers into seven points and making 5 of 9 3-pointers. Shannon went 3 for 3 from deep to provide a spark.
The second quarter featured 11 ties and 11 lead changes. With Dosunmu penetrating with ease and Joan Beringer (14 points on 5-for-5 shooting) attacking the rim, the Timberwolves shredded the Rockets' defense. But Houston countered by shooting 68.2% and posting 48 first-half paint points. Despite forcing seven turnovers by the intermission and shooting 56.5%, Minnesota trailed 73-69 at the break.