MINNEAPOLIS – James Harden did not seem to have the energy left in the tank to crack a smile. By then, the Rockets were running on fumes, shorthanded and in the second half of a back-to-back. The Timberwolves had closed to within 12.
Harden needed one last push to put the Rockets over the top and complete his spectacularly dominant week.
With a drive to a three-point play, he stopped the Timberwolves' run. With a 3-pointer, he put the Rockets back up a safe 16 on the way to a 125-105 win on Saturday, extending the winning streak to seven games with a victory unlike any of the others.