Once again, the Timberwolves built an early lead on the Rockets. And once again, Houston made a run towards the end of the first half and turned what as a 12-point Minnesota lead into just a single point at halftime.
But this time around, the Wolves went on a surge of their own in the third quarter, riding the wave of a playoff-starved Target Center crowd. They outscored Houston by a 35-24 margin in the third frame and rode that momentum into the fourth quarter.
Derrick Rose turned back the clock once again, scoring 10 points in the second quarter and seven in the fourth.