ROCKETS FALL TO TWOLVES
Sengun’s season-high not enough as Rockets lose to Timberwolves
Dec 28, 2024, 3:13 pm
Rockets lose to Timberwolves, 113-112. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.
Anthony Edwards made a step-back 3-pointer with 23 seconds left to cap a furious rally and lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 113-112 win over the Houston Rockets Friday night.
The Rockets were up by 12 with about three minutes left before a 10-0 run by the Timberwolves, highlighted by a 3-point play by Edwards, cut the lead to 110-108 with 90 seconds to go.
Alperen Sengun made 1 of 2 free throws after that, but Julius Randle's dunk on the other end got Minnesota within 1. Sengun was fouled a second time and again made just 1 of 2 free throws to leave Houston up 112-110.
Edwards then sunk the 3-pointer to give Minnesota its first lead since midway through the third quarter.
The Rockets had a chance for the win, but Fred VanVleet's 3-point attempt was off.
Randle had 27 points and Edwards added 24 as the Timberwolves won their second straight after losing three in a row.
Sengun had a season-high 38 points with 12 rebounds to lead the Rockets, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Takeaways
Timberwolves: Edwards had scored just one point in the second half before his late-game heroics secured the win.
Rockets: Houston could have used Dillon Brooks for his defense down the stretch Friday night. He missed his third straight game with a sore right ankle.
Key moment
The 3-pointer by Edwards.
Key stat
The Timberwolves got the win despite being outscored 66-40 in the paint.
Up next
Houston hosts Miami and Minnesota hosts San Antonio Sunday night.
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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.