ROCKETS FALL TO TWOLVES

Rockets let fourth-quarter lead slip in fifth straight loss

Rockets Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green
The Timberwolves beat the Rockets, 127-114. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Anthony Edwards had 41 points, seven rebounds and six assists on Thursday night as the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied to beat the Houston Rockets 127-114.

One night after scoring 49 points in a win over Chicago, Edwards dominated the game early and late. He scored 18 points in the first quarter and 16 in the fourth, which began with Houston leading by six.

Rudy Gobert had back-to-back dunks to start the quarter before Edwards took over with three 3-pointers as Minnesota outscored Houston 35-16 over the final 12 minutes.

Jaylen Clark scored a career-high 17 points for the Timberwolves while Naz Reid had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Jalen Green led Houston with 28 points. Alperen Sengun had 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Rockets, who lost their fifth straight.

Takeaways

Rockets: Houston is one of the league's top road teams with 17 victories, more than all but one NBA team entering the night. But the Rockets have lost their last four on the road.

Timberwolves: Minnesota was playing the fourth of five straight games at home, where they are 14-12 (compared to 15-11 on the road). But with two strong fourth-quarter performances in as many nights, the Wolves might be figuring it out.

Key moment

With less than 5 minutes to play, Edwards missed a 3-pointer but Clark tracked down the rebound. He passed it back to Edwards, who drove to the hoop and drew a foul while hitting a short jumper. He made the free throw, then hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to put Minnesota on top 113-106.

Key stat

Minnesota outrebounded Houston, the No. 1 rebounding team in the NBA, 47-39.

Up next

Both teams are back in action on Saturday, when the Rockets visit Dallas and the Timberwolves host Portland.

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The Astros are cooking! Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.

In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.

It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.

Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?

Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.

Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.

If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.

As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.

And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.

There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.

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