Eric Gordon returned from a two-game absence due to a sore right knee and scored 16 second-half points on Tuesday, helping spark the Houston Rockets to a 117-111 home victory (box score) over Minnesota.
The 31-year-old reserve guard — who bumped his ailing knee on Feb. 24 against the Knicks — clearly looked rusty in the first half, in which he went scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting from the field.
But Gordon heated up in Tuesday’s second half by making 5-of-9 shots (55.6%), including two late 3-pointers as the Rockets pulled away at Toyota Center. Gordon also had several key plays defensively and was part of the closing lineup utilized by head coach Mike D’Antoni.
Regarding Gordon’s showing over 30 game minutes, D’Antoni said:
He’s a big piece. There’s no doubt about it. This was a good step. He’s got that ability to hit clutch shots. And defensively, he’s good. He’s a good on-ball defender. So yeah, it’s big.
The win snaps a four-game losing streak for the Rockets (40-24), who are tied with Oklahoma City for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference and a game back of Utah for the No. 4 seed.
Led by 28 points from D’Angelo Russell, the rebuilding Timberwolves (19-45) remain second-to-last in the West. Minnesota led by 10 early in the third quarter, but Gordon’s resurgence (along with 64 combined points by James Harden and Russell Westbrook) helped Houston pull away.
The Rockets have a much tougher opponent in their next game, which looms Thursday night in Los Angeles against the top-seeded Lakers (49-13). Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Central from Staples Center, with the game set for a national television broadcast on TNT.
