Two Things to Watch as the Rockets Take on the Timberwolves

The Rockets are in Minnesota for a matchup crucial to Western Conference playoff seeding. Houston is in a must-win situation as it continues this road trip.

Mar 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) brings he ball up court against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

As much as fans are panicking about the Houston Rockets' recent shortcomings, they can still turn things around, starting tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After an abysmal 132-124 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday, the Rockets are now 10-8 since the All-Star break and 6-6 in March.

The last time these two met was Jan. 16. Houston took a home victory against Minnesota, 110-105, but the visitors were without their star, Anthony Edwards. That will be the case once again, as he is sidelined with a knee injury.

Edwards is averaging 29.5 points per game, but there are still two major aspects of the game to watch tonight, based on trends between both teams. The Rockets and Timberwolves played a relatively slow, physical game in January. Here are two things to keep an eye on as both sides look to assert themselves within the Western Conference's top four seeds:

Perimeter Defense

In their lone matchup of the season thus far, the Rockets outshot the Timberwolves from the perimeter, nailing 43% of their threes to Minnesota's 37%. Houston has been decent when it comes to shooting the deep ball at a high clip, but the team ranks 29th in threes attempted per game.

Fast forward to late March, and this Timberwolves rotation looks a bit different and improved. They acquired Ayo Dosunmu from the Bulls and Kyle Anderson from the buyout market, while Mike Conley's minutes have diminished at his age.

With even more ball-stoppers on the wings, the Rockets will be forced to combat Minnesota with shooting. Although they put up 124 points in Chicago, they shot 27% from three. That can't happen against a better opponent.

Rebounding Battle

Houston went relatively small in the frontcourt the last time it faced Minnesota. Steven Adams did not play, despite being healthy, and Clint Capela logged just 12 minutes off the bench. The only true big man to get heavy playing time was Alperen Şengün.

It was a decision that paid off against an opponent featuring Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid. They'll suit up once again, but will Ime Udoka opt into a smaller rotation for the second meeting? It could significantly affect the rebounding battle, especially because Houston thrives on second-chance opportunities.

The Rockets managed to grab 10 offensive rebounds in that first matchup, and they're still the NBA's best in that category with a 38.8% offensive rebounding rate.