NBA playoffs

Game 2 preview: Rockets vs. Timberwolves

Game 2 preview: Rockets vs. Timberwolves
James Harden scored 44 in Game 1. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Place: Toyota Center.

TV: TNT.

Line: Rockets -10.5.

Series: Rockets lead 1-0 after winning Game 1 104-101.

The breakdown: Outside of James Harden, the Rockets were a mess in Game 1. Chris Paul had a season high six turnovers, and the non-Harden Rockets shot 3 of 25 from the 3-point arc. Minnesota got surprising production from its bench, specifically Derek Rose, who scored 16. Karl-Anthony Towns, who has too many first names, scored just eight points.

What to watch: Paul should play much better, and the Rockets can’t be as bad shooting the basketball. Towns should be better for Minnesota, but this is a bad matchup for the Wolves.

Prediction: The Rockets get it together in this one and roll to an easy 2-0 lead before the series shifts to Minnesota.

 

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The Angels beat the Astros, 4-1. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.

Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.

The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.

Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.

Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.

Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.

Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.

Key moment

Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.

Key Stat

Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.

Up next

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.

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