The Minnesota Timberwolves will resume their basketball action on Friday. They are going on the road, meeting the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. At present, the Wolves sit 4th in the Western Conference with a 27-14 record. Meanwhile, the Rockets have stumbled down to 6th with a 23-15 record. Therefore, a lot is at stake in this high-octane matchup. And thus, Houston would need the power of Kevin Durant, while Minnesota would bank on Anthony Edwards.

Is Kevin Durant playing against the Timberwolves tonight?

The Slim Reaper will be suiting up for the Rockets on Friday, January 16. Houston’s medical staff hasn’t put him on the injury list. Therefore, the 37-year-old veteran forward’s availability in the match becomes a statement. Durant has appeared in 36 out of 38 games for the Houston Rockets. He has averaged 25.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and 4.4 asg so far. Meanwhile, KD has a 51.3 FG%.

On Thursday’s 91-111 stumble against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant chipped in 19 points in 31 minutes. Unfortunately, the veteran forward never found rhythm with the ball, yet he paced the Houston side through attempt volume rather than efficiency.

However, the night stood out as his scoring output fell below 20 for the first time since December 11, underscoring how dominant his recent stretch has been. Meanwhile, KD compensated elsewhere, showing sharper engagement on defense and matching his top takeaway mark this year after going nine straight outings without one.

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Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves: Injury Report

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are entering Friday’s matchup shorthanded. They have listed Dorian Finney-Smith as day-to-day, a short-term designation. The veteran power forward has already missed Thursday’s game against OKC. Meanwhile, Tari Eason stays unavailable because of an ankle issue, further thinning the forward depth. More critically, the Rockets still don’t have their guard, Fred VanVleet on the lineup following the ACL injury in 2025. The team has yet to determine the star’s return timeline.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves will face a thin rotation with four players out for the night. The franchise cornerstone, Anthony Edwards, will sit due to right foot workload care. Meanwhile, Enrique Freeman and Rocco Zikarsky remain inactive because of developmental assignment status in the G League. In addition, a left foot muscle strain has sidelined Terrence Shannon Jr.

Predicted Starting Lineups for Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves

Keeping in mind the injury updates, here’s the predicted starting five for both teams:

Unfortunately, the crowd will miss watching Ant-Man go against his idol, Kevin Durant, on Friday. However, the Rockets vs Wolves matchup will surely serve the basketball drama we all want. Therefore, keep your eyes fixed on the game, and drop your predictions!