The Wolves host the Houston Rockets tomorrow afternoon in what should be another Minnesota win. The problem is that although Kevin Garnett and company are on a three game winning streak and are coming off an emotional overtime game winning shot from the Big Ticket, fans still cannot fully trust their team to win these games that they should.
Houston is coming to town without Yao Ming, which must be a wonderful sight for Mark Blount. Without Yao, the focus of the defense obviously turns to Tracy McGrady, meaning Trenton Hassell and Marko Jaric will have a big chore on their hands. McGrady is coming off a 44 point performance against the strong defense of the Utah Jazz, bringing Houston’s record to 21-12.
The key to a win will obviously be this matchup of Hassell and Jaric vs. McGrady and with the way they are playing recently, McGrady should have to work on the defensive end himself.
Mark Blount, who is playing arguably the best basketball of his career recently, should continue his great play without Ming on the court, although Dikembe Mutombo is still a defensive force.
With the Denver Nuggets losing yet again tonight, the Timberwolves have now caught them for second place in the division. It is games such as these that Minnesota must look at as “must wins,” in order to catch the strong Utah Jazz.
Although Minnesota is coming off two straight overtime wins, they have not played jaw-dropping basketball recently and easily could have lost both games. This game would be an excellent opportunity to get their flow back offensively and to continue their growth as a defensive-minded team.
Which Wolves team will show up? A confident bunch, ready to dominate another team that they should defeat or the disappointing team who plays down to the level of their competition? Those answers will come soon enough.
