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.

“We weren’t executing the right way,” the Rockets forward said. “They came back, and that’s what happens when you don’t play good.”

Houston survived one of the worst fourth quarters in team history to hold off the Hornets 90-88 in overtime on Thursday night. Kevin Martin scored 27 of his 32 points in the first half, Samuel Dalembert grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds and the Rockets won their fifth straight game.

Since then, the pair have become friends, though that bond will be put aside Sunday when the Ravens and Texans meet in an AFC divisional playoff game.

The year they went 1-15, I was ticked they won that one game.

When they played in those three Super Bowls in the ’90s, I rooted hard for the opposition.

Hell, I hate them more than the Ku Klux Klan!

That’s why I take great pleasure in seeing the transfer of power in the Lone Star State, where the football greatness has moved from Dallas to Houston.

For decades, all of the talk has been about the Cowboys, that damn star, and lately, the monstrosity of a football palace built by owner Jerry Jones. But with the NFL playoffs kicking off this weekend, the only football they’ll witness at Cowboys Stadium is Kansas State and Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.

But 250 miles south of Dallas, the Houston Texans will take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC wild card game.

For Cowboys fans, it’s over. No longer can you talk supremacy over Houston. The expansion Texans is the talk of the state, and all the Cowboys fans can do is complain about Tony Romo and Jerry Jones.

And they might as well get used to it. The Cowboys are truly a has-been team. Those five Lombardi trophies? Well, you better keep watching NFL Films. That will be the only way to see Dallas raise that again.

The Texans are a young and talented team that could have done better than 10-6 had we not been hit with injuries to our top three players. We are about to see a tremendous run by the Texans, and when it comes to pro football in the state, no one will be talking about the bumbling Cowboys.

America’s Team? Hell, you’re barely Arlington’s team with the rise of the Texas Rangers in back-to-back World Series.

You don’t even have the best-looking cheerleaders in the NFL (I’ll vote for the Miami Dolphins).

Houston has always been a world-class city, and one satisfied with being a Texas town. Dallas? It’s always desired to be another Los Angeles and New York. Just get your own identity and stick with it.

Sure, Dallas will talk a lot of smack about being the Texans’ big brother, and before that, the Houston Oilers.

But I don’t care. I was a “Luv Ya Blue” fan before Bud Adams bolted to Tennessee, and now I’m a season ticket holder for the Texans.

I would continue, but I need to pack for my flight Friday to Houston for the game. All the Cowboys fans will be packing is a bunch of Haterade for the new King of Football in Texas: the Houston Texans.

He replaces Matt Leinart, who suffered a broken collarbone in his left shoulder in Sunday’s 20-13 victory at Jacksonville that gave the Texans a team-record five-game winning streak and elevated their record to 8-3, tied for the best in the AFC.

Leinart, who suffered the same injury in 2007, his second season with Arizona, will undergo season-ending surgery. Leinart replaced Matt Schaub, who suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury to his right foot.

Coach Gary Kubiak has faith in Yates as his starter. Kubiak has been talking up Yates since camp. He likes Yates’ size (6-3, 220), arm strength, mobility and work habits. He also likes his toughness. Yates’ mobility is something defenses didn’t have to worry about with Schaub and Leinart.

The coaches have told him if he can’t find a receiver, take off and get some yards. Kellen Clemens, signed off the street last week to be the third quarterback, will back up Yates for now.

Clemens has to prove he’s capable of being the backup, meaning he’s one heartbeat from being the fourth starter. The Texans worked out five quarterbacks last week: Clemens, Brodie Croyle, Trent Edwards, Jeff Garcia and Chase Clement. They signed Clemens because he’s familiar with Kubiak’s system. He learned it in camp and preseason at Washington.

Kubiak said Monday they’re keeping all options open, that the only requirement is a quarterback “who’s been through a few rodeos.”