Sheppard's 14 Keeps Houston Even After Minnesota's Fast Start

At halftime Wednesday, Nov. 4, in Houston, Minnesota opened with a 33-30 first-quarter lead, but the Rockets answered with a 27-24 second to knot the score at 57. Reed Sheppard led all scorers with 14 points, while Ayo Dosunmu added 13 for the Timberwolves and Nah'Shon Hyland supplied 10 on 3-for-3 from three. Kevin Durant and Fred VanVleet each have 10 for Houston, while Alperen Sengun has 8 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. After the break, watch whether Minnesota can rediscover its first-quarter edge and whether Houston can turn Sengun's playmaking into a scoring surge; the Rockets entered at 7-1 and No. 1 in the power index, with the 5-3 Timberwolves ranked No. 8.