Timberwolves make a spirited rally into overtime, then sink against the Houston Rockets

Early in the second half Tuesday night, Timberwolves fans at Target Center let the team have it after Donte DiVincenzo committed a turnover near halfcourt that led to an easy dunk from Jalen Green with 7 minutes, 20 seconds left in the third quarter.

Boos rained down as Chris Finch called timeout. The jeers had an effect, as the Wolves picked up their effort from there, but they couldn’t close out a 117-111 overtime loss to the Rockets. The Wolves gave up a 102-97 lead at the end of regulation, and the Rockets took control with 11 unanswered points in overtime to clinch their group in the NBA in-season tournament.

The Wolves led by five late in the fourth quarter but didn’t score in the final 3 minutes, 12 seconds of regulation. They came up with a few empty possessions that allowed Houston to tie the score at 112. Center Rudy Gobert blocked Alperen Sengun’s shot with 15.2 seconds left before an Anthony Edwards runner at the buzzer of regulation rimmed in and out and Edwards smacked the stanchion in frustration.

Edwards had 29 points to lead the Wolves, who shot only 24% from three-point range.

“I didn’t really like our effort and energy in the first half,” Finch said. “Found it in the second half, but we kept giving it back … trying to do too much all by ourselves offensively.”

The Wolves opened the game with a lackadaisical defensive effort as the Rockets raced to a 20-11 lead in the opening six minutes. But the defensive intensity returned as Finch went to his bench with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid.

“I think from the way it feels, it feels like when we start the game, the other team is a little more alert, a little more physical,” center Rudy Gobert said. “We always take one quarter or one half to get going, and we get slapped in the face and all of a sudden we realize that if we don’t react, we’re gonna get embarrassed. So we know it. We’ve talked about it a few weeks ago, about starting the games better. We got to find it.”

Edwards had 10 in the first quarter against Houston’s switch-heavy lineup, and the Wolves clawed their way back to take a 35-32 lead in the second. But the Wolves’ on-ball defense again let up later in the second and allowed Houston to close with a 10-1 run for a 57-47 halftime lead.

The Wolves had seven turnovers in the second quarter. The turnovers kept coming in the third, and the boo birds made an appearance after DiVincenzo, starting for the injured Mike Conley, committed one near halfcourt that led to a Green dunk and a 70-58 Houston lead 4:40 into the third. Houston led by as much as 18 in the quarter before the Wolves bench sparked an 11-0 run. Edwards had six points in the run and the Wolves entered the fourth quarter down 84-78.

Rob Dillingham got more minutes off the bench and he helped the offense find a rhythm even while shooting only 4-for-12 himself. He had 12 points and seven assists.

“He’s giving us a lot right now with his ability to get by people,” Finch said. “… He plays with a ton of confidence, and he plays hard on defense.”

Reid had his best offensive game in a while with 19 points as the Wolves feasted against Houston’s bench.

The Wolves eventually took a 100-97 lead on a floater from Dillingham, and Houston continued missing as Gobert stepped up his rim protection.

Alperen Sengun: Houston’s center helped the Rockets build their big lead and had a triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

1-for-12. Combined three-point shooting for Jaden McDaniels and DiVincenzo.

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