The Minnesota Timberwolves have been inconsistent so far in the season. They've already been defeated three times in their first five games of the season, and on Friday night they faced the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Wolves and the Thunder also met earlier this week, with Minnesota winning that game 115-113 on the road. On Friday, they were at home in their Target Center in Minneapolis, playing in front of a sellout crowd of more than 17,000 fans.
Timberwolves with a narrow victory again
Oklahoma opened up the game with a great first quarter. They scored 33 points in the first period while holding Minnesota to 26 points.
It was a high-scoring first half of this game, and midway through the second period, the Thunder held a 49-40 lead. At halftime, the score was tied at 59-59. It was a back-and-forth affair in the third quarter of this game, with both teams scoring at a high rate. The Wolves outscored the Thunder 31-30 in the third period, and heading into the fourth quarter they were in front 90-89. With the score tied at 109-109 late in the fourth quarter, it was apparent that the game will be tight until the end. Minnesota was the more focused team in the final minutes of the game, as they ended up with a 119-116 win. Carmelo Anthony had the chance to send the game to overtime, but he missed the three-pointer at the buzzer.
Karl-Anthony Towns played a great game for the home team. Towns finished with game-high 33 points, and also added 19 rebounds. Jimmy Butler added 25 points and seven assists, while Jeff Teague contributed with 17 points and 10 assists.
For the Thunder, it was Russell Westbrook once again who led them in scoring. Westbrook scored 27 points and added nine assists as well.
Paul George finished with 23 points and five rebounds for Oklahoma.
Easy win for the Rockets
The Houston Rockets were on the road on Friday, playing against the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte opened up the game with a 30-point first quarter, as they held a 30-27 lead after the first period. Houston answered with a 29-point second quarter, outscoring the Hornets 29-16 in the second period.
At halftime, the Rockets held a 56-46 lead. The Rockets never looked back after that. Heading into the fourth quarter of this game, Houston was in front 78-74. They closed out the game with a 31-point fourth quarter and ended up with an easy, 109-93 road win.
James Harden led the Rockets with 27 points on 8-of-18 shooting. Harden also added 11 assists and 10 rebounds as well. Eric Gordon scored 26 points, while Ryan Anderson added 21 points and six rebounds for Houston.
Kemba Walker was the leading scorer for the home team in this one. Walker finished the game with 26 points and five assists, while Dwight Howard added 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Hornets.
