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Sports

Adelman wins return to Houston

Associated Press
Published | Updated

HOUSTON – Rick Adelman has mostly good memories from his years in Houston, and he added one more on Monday night.

Michael Beasley scored 34 points, Ricky Rubio had 18 points and 11 assists and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Rockets 120-108 in Adelman's return to Houston.

Kevin Love had 29 points for the Timberwolves, who blew open a close game with a franchise-record 42 points in the third, also a season high for any quarter. Beasley also set a franchise record for single-game points by a reserve.

Minnesota shot a season-best 58 percent (43 of 74) from the field and eclipsed its previous high point total for the season by 14.

Kevin Martin scored 29 points after missing two games with inflammation in his right heel. The Rockets lost for only the second time in 11 games.

Adelman went 193-135 in four seasons with Houston, and turned down the team's offer to renew his contract after last season. His .588 winning percentage was the highest among the 11 full-time coaches the franchise has had, and Houston won a playoff series after the 2008-09 season.

"It's fun coming back," Adelman said before the game.

And he definitely enjoyed the third quarter, when Minnesota outscored the Rockets by 17 points.

The Timberwolves opened the second half with a 12-4 burst, capped by Love's second 3-pointer for a 66-60 lead. Kyle Lowry and Martin answered with 3-pointers, and Lowry turned a steal into a breakaway layup to tie it at 68.

Minnesota then pushed the tempo and poured it on, finishing the quarter with a 19-6 spurt. The Wolves hit 15 of 24 shots, including four 3-pointers, and went 8 for 8 from the free-throw line to put together the highest scoring quarter against Houston this season.

Rubio, Beasley and Love led the scoring barrage, with 32 points in the third on 10-for-12 shooting. Minnesota led 96-81 heading to the fourth, and the Rockets hardly challenged the rest of the way.

Minnesota finished 28 of 31 from the free-throw line and dished out 18 assists.

Chase Budinger scored 13 for Houston, also outrebounded 40-34.

The Rockets beat Minnesota 107-92 a week ago in Kevin McHale's first game back in his home state since he succeeded Adelman last June.

NOTES: Adelman revealed more about the reasons for his departure from Houston before the game. Adelman hinted that owner Les Alexander and general manager Daryl Morey made all the personnel decisions, and kept him mostly out of the loop. "I always thought the operation here was Daryl and Les talking, and then when I met with Les, it was Daryl and Les and I," he said. "And that's how it was." He also said he expected to get phone calls from Alexander during his tenure, but never did. He read in a local newspaper column that he was to blame for the communication breakdown. "I didn't think anything of it, until I saw the stuff about how I never listened to anything," he said. "I'm not real smart, but I'm going to listen to my boss. That just kind of turned me the wrong way." Morey walked up and shook Adelman's hand during pregame warmups, and the two had a brief, apparently cordial conversation. ... Timberwolves G J.J. Barea (sprained left ankle) sat out for the 10th time in 11 games.