MINNEAPOLIS _ Less than a month ago a very hot Houston Rockets team came to Target Center on a nine-game win streak, trailed Minnesota by 12 points with 2:20 left in regulation, and proceeded to break the Timberwolves hearts in overtime.
That only makes what happened Wednesday night at Target Center sweeter.
This time, the Rockets came to Target Center on a nine-game winning streak, and that streak was stopped in the Minnesota cold. Wolves 119, Rockets 105.
The Wolves ended the third quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 12-point lead into the fourth. And then a lineup of mainly reserves scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to take a 20-point lead.
And this time it held up.
Stone cold from 3 for much of the game, both Ryan Anderson and his teammates woke up in the fourth, hitting seven of 14 fourth-quarter 3-pointers.
The Wolves held on with an offense that never lost steam.
Andrew Wiggins scored 28 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 18 rebounds. Ricky Rubio tied a franchise record with 17 assists to go along with 10 points. Shabazz Muhammad (20 points, seven rebounds) and Nemanja Bjelica (eight points, seven rebounds) contributed off the bench.
That was enough for the Wolves (13-26) to turn back the Rockets (31-10).
James Harden scored 33 points with 12 assists. Anderson _ 2-for-9 on 3-pointers through three quarters _ finished with 18. Trevor Ariza scored 16.
The Wolves built an 11-point lead in the first quarter, and were up seven entering the second for two main reasons: First, Wiggins had a 6-for-9 (2-for-3 on 3-pointers), 15-point first quarter. And second, the Rockets went 0-for-7 on 3-point tries in the quarter, with Anderson missing all six of his attempts.
The Rockets led 9-8 in the quarter when Wiggins had five points and Towns four in an 11-2 run that put the Wolves up, 19-11. The Rockets scored four straight, then Wiggins' three-point play started a 9-5 run that put the Wolves lead at 11. The Wolves still led by seven entering the second.
That lead was still at six when most of the starters returned to action midway through the second quarter. Then, with 2:32 left in the half, Wiggins' basket put the Wolves up by eight.
But then, over the final 2-plus minutes of the half it was all Rockets in a 12-5 run.
First, Harden was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws. After Towns turned over the ball Ariza hit a 3-pointer. After Bjelica missed, Harden scored in the lane.
Bjelica hit two free throws with 24.5 seconds left. But, with less than 2 seconds left in the half Bjelica was called for an offensive foul, and the Rockets quickly got the ball to Nene, who hit a 31-foot three-pointer to pull the Rockets within 55-54 at the half.
Down 69-68 early in the third quarter, the Wolves went on a 9-0 run to take a 77-69 on two free throws by Rubio with 3:50 left in the quarter.
Moments later, up six, the Wolves ended the quarter on a 12-6 run to go up by 12 entering the fourth.
That included an 8-2 run to end the quarter that included two Rubio free throws, a Towns slam dunk and two straight fast-break hoops, the last a nice full-court pass from Towns to Wiggins to make it 89-77.
