Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets are the play this evening on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center.
While all the attention in the Western Conference gets paid to San Antonio and Dallas and, to a lesser extent Utah, the Houston Rockets have quietly built up a record of 12-5, including 11-3 over their last 14 games.
But for a monumental collapse against San Antonio on November 14 when Houston blew a 19-point lead, the Rockets would be sitting atop the Southwest Division. The Rockets are 7-2 since that game, including an 82-75 win over Minnesota in Houston.
The key, of course, to Houston's success is defense, and the Rockets have held six of their last seven foes to 90 points or less (82.4 ppg), with only Phoenix breaking that trend. Minnesota has dropped 11 of its last 14 games straight-up, and we'll take Houston in what is basically a pick 'em game tonight.
The last meeting these two teams played the under cashed with ease. However, even though this line seems a bit low I feel the under is still the way to play it.