Likely NBA MVP James Harden scored 44 points on 15-of-24 shooting to lead the Houston Rockets to a 104-101 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday night.
The Wolves had the ball with 8 seconds left but Jimmy Butler, battling an apparent right wrist injury, tried a fadeaway from just inside the 3-point line and missed badly to end the game.
What’s worse is that Butler had Jeff Teague wide open to his right for what could’ve been a game-tying three.
Somewhere in an alternate universe there’s a pass to Teague there pic.twitter.com/msJI78ApdZ
— Zack Pierce (@ZPathletic) April 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/jtylerconway/status/985720672679755776
Butler finished with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting.
Karl-Anthony Towns took just 9 shots all game, to which TNT analyst Charles Barkley attributed to the Wolves being “dummies.”
Wolves had an opportunity to steal Game 1 w/ HOU just 10 of 37 (27%) from deep & MIN up 1 w/ 6:50 left but…
-KAT (8pts 3/9 FG) could never get on track
-Butler (4/13 FG) had 10 in 2Q but just 13 for game
-MIN 14 TO's (4 in 4Q) for 18 HOU points— Alan Horton (@WolvesRadio) April 16, 2018
The Rockets lead the best-of-seven series 1-0 with Game 2 at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in Houston.
