James Harden predicted Chris Paul would ”come back and drop 30” after not playing his best in Houston’s playoff opener.

Close enough.

Paul had 27 points and Gerald Green came off the bench to score a playoff career-high 21 as the Rockets used a huge second quarter to cruise to a 102-82 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night that gave them a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Paul Eric Dickerson Jersey , a nine-time All-Star, scored 14 points and tied a season high with six turnovers in the first game. Early on, it was clear that Paul wouldn’t struggle again as he had 15 points, three assists, two steals and a block by halftime.

Paul, who joined the Rockets in an offseason trade from the Clippers, finished with eight assists and three steals.

”I know he was beating himself up after Game 1, he called me and we talked a little bit and I said: `Don’t worry about it, the win’s all that matters so just come back and be aggressive,”’ Harden said.

Paul seemed to listen to his teammate.

”Just tried to push the tempo, tried to be aggressive … getting into the lane and getting a couple of easy ones early helped us,” Paul said.

Houston fell behind early but went on top for good with a 37-point second quarter, powered by four 3-pointers from Green, and the Wolves didn’t threaten again.

The top-seeded Rockets won the opener by three behind a 44-point performance from James Harden on a night when most of the team struggled offensively. Things were much different Wednesday when Harden went 2 for 18 and had just 12 points as one of four Rockets who finished in double figures.

Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns had another disappointing game, scoring all of his five points in the first quarter after being criticized for finishing with eight in the series opener.

Towns said he can’t be frustrated with how the first two games have gone for him.

”I think we all have to be better Colton Schmidt Jersey , including myself,” he said. ”We’ve got to find ways. We can come up with some tweaks and be ready for the next game.”

The All-Star big man went to the bench with about seven minutes left in the third quarter and didn’t return, and coach Tom Thibodeau said Towns needs to ”play with energy.”

The Rockets tried to wear Towns down by using Clint Capela and the much-bulkier Nene on him in the first half.

”It’s playoffs and it’s a different ball game,” Towns said. ”The physicality is different and the way the game is played is different. We’ve got to adjust, accordingly.”

Jamal Crawford scored 16 points for the eighth-seeded Timberwolves, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Houston was up by 22 points with about nine minutes left when Paul made two quick baskets to make it 91-65. The second came on a twirling off-balance layup over Nemanja Bjelica that earned him a standing ovation from the home crowd.

The Rockets were up by 15 at halftime and opened the second half with a 10-2 run to make it 65-42 with about nine minutes left in the third.

The Timberwolves had scored seven straight points later in the third when Green, the hometown player who was signed off the street in December, hit his fifth 3-pointer to leave the Rockets up 74-53 with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the quarter.

He was thrilled to be able to star in a playoff game in the city where he grew up.

”This moment that I’m living right now is everything that I’ve dreamed of since I was five or six years old,” Green said.

The Timberwolves led by as many as nine early and the game was tied with about eight minutes left in the second quarter before Houston scored 16 straight points, highlighted by three 3-pointers from Green, to take a 46-30 lead with about 4 1/2 minutes left in the first half.

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Justin Patton sat out with a sore left foot. … Butler finished with 11 points. … Andrew Wiggins had 13 points and eight rebounds. … Minnesota shot 5 of 18 from 3-point range.

Rockets: Ryan Anderson, who returned to practice Tuesday, didn’t play after also sitting out in Game 1. Coach Mike D’Antoni said Anderson, who has a sprained left ankle, is likely to play Saturday. … Trevor Ariza had 15 points. … Houston made 16 of 52 3-pointers.

SPECIAL GUESTS

Rapper Travis Scott Golden Tate III Jersey , who is a frequent visitor to Rockets games, sat courtside with girlfriend Kylie Jenner. It was the first time Jenner has attended a game in Houston since the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Stormi, in February. Also sitting courtside was rapper Lil’ Wayne, who received a loud ovation when he was introduced on the Jumbotron in the fourth quarter.

THEY SAID IT

Paul on Houston winning big despite Harden’s tough night: ”You give him 18 shots next game and see what happens,” he said with a grin.

UP NEXT

The series moves to Minnesota for Game 3 on Saturday.

—

In a showdown of All-Star sluggers, Nelson Cruz had more RBIs, but J.D. Martinez had more help.

Martinez homered and drove in five, and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Seattle Mariners 14-10 on Friday despite a monster night from Cruz.

Cruz had a pair of three-run homers and drove in seven, but the Mariners still lost their season-worst fifth straight game, including three earlier this week at Yankee Stadium. Seattle led 4-0 and 10-5 before a wild Red Sox rally fueled by RBIs from eight different players.

”That’s some fight. We’ve got a great group in here and that was a good one for us,” said Mitch Moreland, who had three hits including a triple as the Red Sox set a season-high with 20 hits.

Martinez went 4 for 5, including a two-run homer in the sixth and two doubles as he and his teammates avenged a 1-0 loss at Seattle against Wade LeBlanc six days earlier. LeBlanc started again Friday but did not fare so well in Boston.

”He pitched a great game against us last time. We all had a little chip on our shoulder coming into today,” said Martinez Howard Wilson Jersey , who has 23 homers.

Reliever Matt Barnes (1-2) got the win with one scoreless inning, and Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth.

Juan Nicasio (1-4) took the loss, allowing five runs on four hits in one-third of a lousy seventh inning.

”We were in control after a crazy first inning. We banged it around and they banged it around some, but our guys kept tacking on there. Just couldn’t hold them off at the end,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.

The only flaw to the second half of the game for Boston: shortstop Xander Bogaerts left in the seventh with a sprained index finger on his left hand.

After Cruz put Seattle up 3-0 in the first with his 19th home run, Ryon Healy added a solo shot during Seattle’s four-run first inning as the Mariners got to knuckleballer Steven Wright. Seattle added two more off Wright in the second after Boston’s five-run bottom of the first.

Despite allowing 10 runs on 10 hits, Wright got a no-decision.

”I might go buy a lottery ticket now because that never happens,” Wright said.

Seattle scored four in the fourth, including Cruz’s second shot of the game, but Boston’s bullpen shut down Seattle the rest of the way while the Mariners’ imploded.

”Tough one,” Cruz said. ”It’s a shame because the pitchers have been doing a really good job. They’ve been throwing the ball with consistence, but it happens.”

Rafael Devers singled in a run in the fifth, and then Martinez homered off Nick Vincent to center in the sixth to pull Boston within 10-8. Mitch Moreland followed with a triple just beyond the reach of diving right fielder Mitch Haniger, and Bogaerts drove in Moreland with an infield single

Barnes struck out the side in the seventh, and then Boston got to Nicasio. Devers singled to lead off A.J. Green Jersey , Blake Swihart singled with one out and Nicasio walked Mookie Betts to load the bases. Andrew Benintendi blooped a single into shallow center to bring in Devers and tie it at 10.

Swihart was nearly picked off third as Benintendi scored, but he slid under the tag after a strong throw by center fielder Guillermo Heredia. Seattle did not challenge the close play, and Martinez followed with a two-run single.

Nick Rumbelow later allowed Benintendi to score on a wild pitch, and Eduardo Nunez added a pinch-hit RBI single.

BIG BATS

The Red Sox have come from behind in 22 of their 51 wins. The 14 runs tied their season scoring high and the 20 hits were four more than they had in a game this season.

”It was a weird game,” Benintendi said. ”It’d be easy to give up in that situation and just kind of coast through the game, but we kept fighting and putting good at-bats together all throughout the lineup.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: Activated RHP Vincent (strained right groin) from the 10-day DL and optioned RHP Ryan Cook to Triple-A Tacoma.

Red Sox: Benintendi needed a minute to collect himself after running hard into the Green Monster on a double by Denard Span.

UP NEXT

Mariners: RHP Mike Leake (7-4, 4.47 ERA) gets his second straight start against the Red Sox after taking the loss Sunday in Seattle, allowing five runs on eighth hits in six innings.

Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (9-1, 3.59) has won a career-high six straight starts, including Boston’s 9-3 victory over the Mariners in Seattle on Sunday.

—

Kevin Huerter Jersey ,