Wolves Make NBA History with Record 13-Point Overtime Comeback Against Rockets

The Minnesota Timberwolves achieved the largest overtime comeback in NBA history, erasing a 13-point deficit to defeat Houston 110-108. Despite missing five key players including star Anthony Edwards, Minnesota closed the game with a 15-0 run to secure the historic victory.

MINNEAPOLIS — Despite being severely short-handed, the Minnesota Timberwolves made NBA history Wednesday night by completing the league’s most dramatic overtime comeback since detailed record-keeping began in 1997-98.

The Timberwolves erased a 13-point overtime deficit to defeat the Houston Rockets 110-108, capping their miraculous rally with a decisive 15-0 scoring run to close out the game.

Minnesota accomplished this historic feat while playing without five of their seven most important players for the majority of their comeback effort.

“They fought through a ton of adversity. We should’ve won that game in regulation. We deserved to win that game. We were the better team all night, and we gave them a chance to steal it from us, but we stole it right back,” head coach Chris Finch stated after the victory.

The Timberwolves had squandered an 11-point advantage with just 3½ minutes remaining in regulation and battled questionable officiating throughout the contest. When overtime began Wednesday evening, they quickly fell behind by 13 points within the first two minutes of the extra period.

All-Star Anthony Edwards remained unavailable for his fifth consecutive game due to knee issues. Reserve guard Ayo Dosunmu was also absent with calf soreness. Jaden McDaniels, who contributed 25 points and exceptional defense against Rockets standout Kevin Durant throughout the night, began limping late in the fourth quarter and couldn’t continue. Rudy Gobert, despite recording 14 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, was disqualified due to fouls.

Early in overtime, Naz Reid received an ejection after expressing frustration with referee Scott Foster regarding an offensive foul ruling. Target Center spectators began heading for the exits.

However, after Alperen Sengun’s dunk extended Houston’s lead to 108-95, completing a remarkable 26-2 surge, Minnesota refused to surrender in this crucial Western Conference playoff positioning battle.

“You just got to take it a possession at a time. Biggest thing is be in the moment,” explained Julius Randle, who joined Kyle Anderson in defending Durant after McDaniels’ departure.

Mike Conley, making an unusual start due to Edwards and Dosunmu’s absences, connected on a three-pointer with 2:45 remaining. Anderson followed up Randle’s missed layup attempt, earned a foul against Sengun, and completed the three-point play. Minnesota then forced an eight-second violation by preventing Houston from crossing halfcourt.

Donte DiVincenzo scored on a cutting layup from Anderson’s pass, reducing the gap to five points. Randle secured Sengun’s missed shot before driving past him for a score on the opposite end, bringing Minnesota within 108-105 with 1:34 left on the clock.

DiVincenzo knotted the score with a three-pointer. Sengun’s jump shot missed the mark. Randle then delivered a pull-up jumper with 8.8 seconds left for the winning margin.

“We’ve got real competitors in here, guys who want the challenge. It’s not the first time we’ve done something like that,” said Randle, who scored all 24 of his points after halftime. “When it gets tough, we come together as a group. It brings the best out of us.”

With the victory, Minnesota (45-28) remained half a game behind Denver (46-28) for fourth position in the Western Conference standings. They moved 1½ games ahead of Houston (43-29) and crucially tied their season series at one game each. The teams will meet again in Houston on April 10.

Minnesota managed the comeback despite attempting 63 shots in the paint while receiving only 10 free throw attempts. They secured victory even after Randle was whistled for fouling Durant on his drive with 3.3 seconds left, sending him to the free throw line where Houston had been perfect at 23-for-23. Durant missed both attempts, intentionally missing the second to maintain possession.

“I’m so proud that we didn’t quit. We had a lot of opportunities to get very frustrated tonight,” Gobert reflected. “For the most part, we were able to overcome that. That’s the blueprint for us. We want to win a championship, so we know there’s going to be adversity. We know it’s going to come in a lot of ways.”