Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Houston Rockets 136-132 on Friday night at Toyota Center in a high-scoring Western Conference matchup. The result snapped Houston’s eight-game winning streak and strengthened Minnesota’s positioning in the playoff race.
Houston entered the matchup already locked into a postseason berth but still competing for seeding, while Minnesota continued its push from the No. 6 spot in the West standings.
Amen Thompson led all scorers with a career-high 41 points for Houston, while Kevin Durant added 33 points in a milestone performance. The veteran forward reached 2,026 points for the season, marking his eighth career 2,000-point campaign and the first since 2023–24.
Minnesota responded with a balanced offensive effort, including seven players scoring at least 15 points. Anthony Edwards finished with 22 points, while Terrence Shannon Jr. provided a key spark off the bench with 23 points.
The Rockets controlled stretches early, using Thompson’s scoring and Durant’s efficiency to build momentum. Houston briefly led by five points before Minnesota began to shift the tempo.
A 13-4 Timberwolves run turned the game, highlighted by Donte DiVincenzo’s perimeter shooting. The swing gave Minnesota a 116-112 lead after trailing earlier in the fourth quarter.
Houston responded late behind Alperen Şengün’s interior scoring, trimming the deficit to 132-128 with just over a minute remaining. The Rockets’ push came after an 8-2 run that briefly put pressure on Minnesota’s defense.
Edwards then delivered the decisive possession, knocking down a three-pointer shortly after Houston’s late surge to extend the lead to 135-128. The shot halted the Rockets’ momentum and secured control for Minnesota in the closing seconds.
Minnesota also played without Julius Randle, who missed a second straight game due to right hand soreness. The absence led to increased rotation contributions across the roster, with multiple players stepping into larger roles.
Houston closed the game shooting 4-of-19 from three-point range, a key difference in a contest decided by perimeter efficiency and late-game execution.
Both teams remain in strong playoff positions in the Western Conference standings. The Houston Rockets sit at 51–30 and hold the No. 5 seed, already clinched for the postseason, while the Minnesota Timberwolves are 48–33 at No. 6 after securing a playoff berth. The result tightens the gap in the middle of the West, where positioning between seeds 4 through 7 remains closely contested entering the final stretch.
