Wolves vs. Rockets Series Could Become 'Street Fight'

The Houston Rockets will soon figure out who they will play in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs next weekend.

The Rockets won't officially find out until Tuesday's Play-In Tournament matchup between the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds, but one of those teams could be the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Athletic insider Jon Krawczynski believes that the two teams could be very evenly-matched in a potential seven-game series.

"They split the season series, 2-2, with the Wolves holding a plus-2 point differential advantage over the four games. One went to overtime. One was decided on a last-second shot from Edwards. Just a back-and-forth battle," Krawczynski writes.

"To me, one of the most compelling things about this matchup is how the two teams seem so similar from a mindset standpoint. The Rockets, even though their roster construction is a little different, remind me so much of last year’s Wolves, a team that wanted to break you with defense and physicality. This year’s Wolves haven’t been quite that dominant on defense, but they don’t back down from a fight. Both coaches encourage their players to go toe-to-toe with the opponent.

"If this is the matchup in the first round, bring your brass knuckles. This would be a street fight."

The Wolves are in action for their final regular season against the league-worst Utah Jazz while the Rockets, who have already clinched the No. 2 seed in the West, will play the Denver Nuggets. Both games are scheduled to tip off tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. CT.