In historic collapse at Minnesota, Rockets lament ‘worst’ loss yet
Over the past 29 seasons, NBA teams were 0-180 when trailing by 10+ points in overtime. Minnesota’s 13-point rally now leads the play-by-play era.
MINNEAPOLIS -- For the second time in three days, the Houston Rockets’ locker room was quiet postgame, as players sat in silence trying to figure out what just happened on the court. On Monday, the team squandered an opportunity versus a decimated Chicago Bulls team , which can’t wait for the season to end to see where they fall in the NBA’s 2026 draft lottery. It was an embarrassing loss for Houston (43-29) as the playoffs approach, but letdowns happen in the NBA throughout the season.
Plenty of teams that have their eyes on the postseason have dropped games to lesser opponents. No big deal, right? One easy way to get over a horrible loss is to move on to the next game and let the previous one go.
With the Minnesota Timberwolves up next and without All-Star guard Anthony Edwards (knee inflammation), the Rockets figured they could bounce back with a win and gain some ground in the playoff race. Ultimately, that plan was foiled. After storming back from an 11-point deficit with less than four minutes left in regulation to force overtime, Houston blew a 13-point lead in the final three minutes of overtime to lose, 110-108 ( box score ), to the Timberwolves.
Minnesota finished overtime on a 15-0 run. Too often this season, the Rockets have encountered similar situations , and they have usually ended in a similar fashion to Wednesday night’s game. In February at New York, they were up 18 points in the fourth quarter versus the Knicks before squandering the lead .