On Thursday, the Houston Rockets faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder for their second matchup of the season against the defending champs. The first matc

BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota visits Houston in Western Conference action Friday. The Rockets are 12-14 against Western Conference opponents. Houston ranks third in the Western Conference with 53.2 points per game in the paint led by Alperen Sengun averaging 13.7.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch on Rockets guard Tristen Newton: “When he first came in, the shooting was inconsistent. Now, it’s pretty high level.”

Given Tari Eason's questionable status amid being considered day-to-day after missing the Rockets' matchup against the Thunder on Thursday, there is a chance he'll suit up. Eason has been a fixture on the injury report these days, but much of the time he's been day-to-day.