Rookie forward Tari Eason scored a career-high 17 points in only 23 minutes on 6-of-8 shooting (75%), including 2-of-2 on 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough for the Houston Rockets in Saturday night’s 129-117 setback (box score) at Minnesota.
Karl Anthony Towns led the host Timberwolves (5-5) with 25 points (64.3% FG, 50% on 3-pointers), 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. The Rockets lost their sixth straight and fell to 1-9 on the season, which is the NBA’s worst record.
Houston’s backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green struggled as shooters, combining to score 34 points, including a team-high 21 by Green, on a combined 9-of-28 shooting (32.1%) with eight turnovers. By contrast, frontcourt starters Alperen Sengun and KJ Martin were much more efficient. Sengun had 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting (88.9%), along with 7 rebounds and 5 assists, while Martin had 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting (75.0%) and 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60%).
Scroll on for highlights, analysis and postgame interviews from Saturday night at Target Center.
The next stop on Houston’s four-game road trip is in Orlando. The tip is set for 7 p.m. Central on Monday. That game could feature a matchup of two highly touted rookie forwards: Paolo Banchero of the Magic and Jabari Smith Jr. of the Rockets. However, it is uncertain whether Smith will play; he missed Saturday’s game in Minnesota with an illness.