Houston star James Harden returns from hamstring injury tonight vs. Timberwolves

Houston superstar James Harden will make his return after a seven-game injury tonight against the Timberwolves in a late 8:30 p.m. game for TNT at Toyota Center.

Harden hasn't played since a New Year's Eve double-overtime victory over the Lakers because of a Grade 2 hamstring strain and the Rockets 26-9 then were 4-3 without him.

He's expected to play with a 25-minute limit on his playing time, Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said after his team's shootaround this morning.

The Rockets will play without forward Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green after the NBA suspended them on Wednesday for two games after they went into the Clippers' Staples Center locker room after Monday's loss there looking for a confrontation.

"We've been dealing with guys out all year," Rockets guard Eric Gordon said. "We'll still try to win these next two games against two tough games (Wolves tonight, Golden State Saturday). It doesn't change our mentality of trying to win."

After an investigation in which more than 20 people were interviewed, the league deemed Harden and Chris Paul peacemakers in the incident and there was no disciplinary action for either player.

Former Wolves forward Luc Mbah a Moute will start in Ariza's place against a Wolves team coming off Tuesday's terrible loss at Orlando, which had won just one game since Dec. 6.

"That's up to the league," Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. "The league has rules and my understanding is if you throw a punch, you get suspended. But that doesn't seem to be the case all the time."

The NBA will announce All-Star Game starters before tonight's TNT doubleheader that begins with Philadelphia-Boston at 6 pm Central time.

Thibodeau said Jimmy Butler deserves to be a starter and said all of his three best players -- Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins -- deserve consideration to be chosen for one of the 12 spots on the West team.

Butler will have a hard time, though, because as well as he's played and for as much as he has meant for his team's 29-17 record, he is on the ballot as a guard in a conference that has Harden, Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook.