The Minnesota Timberwolves looked to prove themselves against one of the NBA's best teams, but the Houston Rockets had other ideas, cruising to a 126-108 win.
MORE: Ray Allen congratulates Paul Pierce on jersey retirement via Instagram
The Timberwolves were riding a 13-game home win streak, but had no answer for James Harden who poured in 34 points and 13 assists, fimring his MVP credentials.
As they do, the Rockets turned this one into a shootout, a game the Wolves could not keep up with as they struggled to connect from downtown. Minnesota went 6-of-23 from the three-point line, while the Rockets connected on 22-of-47 attempts, Harden and Ryan Anderson hitting six triples apiece.
The Wolves dragged themselves back into the contest with eight minutes to play in the fourth, before the Rockets reeled off four straight triples in two minutes to stretch the lead to 107-91 and put the game to bed.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 35 ponts, while Jeff Teague added 25 of his own. While the duo kept their squad in the game, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins struggled to find any offensive rhythm, combining to shoot 7-of-27 from the field.
While the Wolves kept things tight, the fourth quarter proved the difference as Houston piled on 42 points, the most fourth quarter points this season, with Harden scoring 17 of his 34 in the final frame.
