The Los Angeles Clippers came up short against the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday, losing by nearly 20 points after being up 20.
LA’s 118-110 home loss not only came at a dire time when the regular season is about to end, but also took out one key Clippers starter.
Kawhi Leonard only played in the first quarter before exiting with an injury, leaving leeway for Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards to score 37 points while Nickeil Alexander-Walker added a season-high 28.
“I thought they was tougher than us,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “They played tougher than we did and that’s the result. We just got to be better.”
What it means: Tuesday’s loss brings some damage to the Clippers, who drop to 41-23 on the season and 22-10 at Crypto.com Arena. The Clippers also dropped the regular season series to their Western Conference opponent. LA remains in the fourth seed slot in the standings after Tuesday. The team will need to rack up a few wins before the season ends to create some distance between themselves and the Pelicans in fifth.
Hits: Paul George and James Harden stepped up for LA without Kawhi Leonard. George finished with 22 points and three rebounds and assists a piece. Meanwhile Harden collected 12 points on the night. He also dished out seven assists and two steals.
Misses: Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was forced to miss the last three quarters due to thoracic spasms. Leonard played for the whole duration of the first quarter, but then went home to rest because that would be better to manage than him sitting on bench, per Law Murray of the Athletic.
Stat of the game: Minnesota had 11 more offensive rebounds than the Clippers and forced 7 more turnovers. Ironically, the Timberwolves won by 18 points tonight in LA.
Up next: The Clippers will move on to Chicago to visit the Bulls. Both teams will face off after March 14, just five days after LA defeated the Bulls at Crypto.com Arena. A matchup in New Orleans with the Pelicans will follow the day after, March 15.
