MINNEAPOLIS _ On another night, considering the matchup and how tight the game was, the temptation would have been to give the Timberwolves some credit, maybe a moral victory.
But not in the middle of a losing streak.
Minnesota played the Rockets, a team that had beaten them by a total of 50 points in two previous games this season, tough Friday at Target Center. They were within three points with just under 4 minutes left to play.
But a familiar result: A 131-124 defeat that pushed the Wolves (15-30) to their eighth straight loss.
Russell Westbrook scored 15 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter, as the Rockets (27-16) held on for their second straight victory. Eric Gordon scored 27, including a 3-pointer late that put the Rockets in control for good.
Andrew Wiggins scored 28 for the Wolves. Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points and 12 rebounds. Josh Okogie, given the start and the assignment of guarding James Harden, did a magnificent job, holding Harden to 12 points on 3-for-13 shooting while scoring 17 himself.
But ... a loss nonetheless.
With 5:33 left and the Wolves down four, P.J. Tucker was called for his sixth foul while battling Towns for a rebound. Houston coach Mike D'Antoni challenged the call, and the call was reversed, resulting in a jump ball instead of two free throws for Towns.
Towns won the jump ball, but the Wolves failed to score. At the other end, Westbrook drove for a basket, was fouled and made the free throw to put the Rockets up 115-108 with 5:02 left.
Wiggins scored. Then Okogie stole the ball, was fouled by Harden and made both free throws to pull the Wolves within three with 3:57 left.
Westbrook scored on a drive. After Towns was called for an offensive foul, Gordon hit an awkward, contested line-drive 3-pointer to put the Rockets up eight with 3:17 left.
The game couldn't have started better for the Wolves, with Robert Covington, and then Towns, hitting 3-pointers and the Rockets missing their first six shots.
Unfortunately, the Wolves then went on to miss 12 of their next 14 shots while turning the ball over six times. The Wolves were up 10-4 when, out of a time out, the Rockets reeled off 13 straight points in what seemed like a blink of the eye to go up 17-10 on a 3-pointer by Danuel House with 4:30 left in the quarter.
When Gordon hit a 3-pointer to open the second quarter _ putting the Rockets up 13 _ it looked like the Rockets might take control of the game.
But the Wolves spent the rest of the half chipping away at that lead.
Towns had eight points before picking up his third foul and heading to the bench. But the second-quarter story was Jordan McLaughlin, who scored eight points on his own, including a drive and dunk with the Wolves down 10 that started a 7-0 run that ended with his free throw with just over 5 minutes left in the half, bringing the Wolves within 46-43.
Down nine later in the half, the Wolves ended the half on a 10-4 run and trailed just 63-60 at the half.
The Wolves kept driving to start the third. Down 67-62 early in the quarter, Towns had five points and Okogie four in an 11-0 run that put the Wolves up 73-67 with 8:32 left in the quarter.
Westbrook then scored eight points in an 11-2 run as the Rockets retook the lead. Moments later, with the game tied at 78, Ben McLemore's 3-pointer started a 7-0 run that put the Rockets up five, a lead that grew to 10 entering the fourth.
