The Clippers trailed 45-46 at halftime before Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards dropped 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter. He lifted the Wolves to a 81-68 advantage into the fourth quarter. The Clippers fought back from a 17-point deficit and made it a 100-103 game with 1:10 left.
Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert was the difference maker for the Wolves. His four made free throws in the final minute shut down any hopes LA had for an overtime period. Gobert’s shots helped Minnesota rebuild a lead all the way to their 109-105 victory.
What it means: The Clippers drop to 25-14 on the season and 8-2 in their last 10 with Sunday’s loss. While the team stays at the fourth seed in the Western Conference standings, the gap between LA and the top-seeded Wolves stretches to three games. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets lie one game ahead of the Clippers in the third seed spot.
Hits: Russell Westbrook continued to provide the Clippers with extra effort from the bench. He scored 12 points (10 in the 4th) and went 2-2 from three-point range while collecting 8 rebounds, 13 assists and two steals. All in 29 minutes. He leads NBA guards in offensive rebounds with 58.
Misses: A key presence was missing for the Clippers in center Ivica Zubac. Zubac missed Sunday’s action against Minnesota with a calf strain. Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters the decision was made just before tip-off and that Zubac would remain day-to-day for the time being.
Aside from Zubac, LA also struggled to get hot in their shooting. Star players Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden average 65 points on 49% field goal shooting, and 43% three-point range. But Sunday against the Wolves, the triple threat was held to 56 points on 37% shooting and 32% from beyond the arc.
Stat of the game: Norman Powell provided a spark off the bench for the Clippers with six made free throws. Powell scored 24 points in 30 minutes for LA, 13 of those coming in just the fourth quarter. He also shot 9-12 from field goal range, 6-9 from beyond the arc, and added 2 blocks on the night.
Up next: The Clippers have one more game left this week against another top-ranked Western Conference team in the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder will be competing fresh off the first half of a back-to-back with the Lakers. Then, the Clippers will have some much needed breathing room with off days from Wednesday to Saturday.
Turning point: The Wolves took a commanding 16-7 lead halfway through the first quarter. Their five three pointers made compared to LA’s one allowed Minnesota to lead by 10 at the end of the period. The Clippers responded with a 18-9 run in the second quarter to outscore the Wolves 26-17.
LA trailed 45-46 at halftime before Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards dropped 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter. He lifted the Wolves to a 81-68 advantage into the fourth quarter. The Clippers fought back from a 17-point deficit and made it a 100-103 game with 1:10 left.
Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert was the difference maker for the Wolves. His four made free throws in the final minute shut down any hopes LA had for an overtime period. Gobert’s shots helped Minnesota rebuild a lead all the way to their 109-105 victory.
What it means: The Clippers drop to 25-14 on the season and 8-2 in their last 10 with Sunday’s loss. While the team stays at the fourth seed in the Western Conference standings, the gap between LA and the top-seeded Wolves stretches to three games. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets lie one game ahead of the Clippers in the third seed spot.
Hits: Russell Westbrook continued to provide the Clippers with extra effort from the bench. He scored 12 points (10 in the 4th) and went 2-2 from three-point range while collecting 8 rebounds, 13 assists and two steals. All in 29 minutes. He leads NBA guards in offensive rebounds with 58.
Misses: A key presence was missing for the Clippers in center Ivica Zubac. Zubac missed Sunday’s action against Minnesota with a calf strain. Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters the decision was made just before tip-off and that Zubac would remain day-to-day for the time being.
Aside from Zubac, LA also struggled to get hot in their shooting. Star players Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden average 65 points on 49% field goal shooting, and 43% three-point range. But Sunday against the Wolves, the triple threat was held to 56 points on 37% shooting and 32% from beyond the arc.
Stat of the game: Norman Powell provided a spark off the bench for the Clippers with six made free throws. Powell scored 24 points in 30 minutes for LA, 13 of those coming in just the fourth quarter. He also shot 9-12 from field goal range, 6-9 from beyond the arc, and added 2 blocks on the night.
Up next: The Clippers have one more game left this week against another top-ranked Western Conference team in the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder will be competing fresh off the first half of a back-to-back with the Lakers. Then, the Clippers will have some much needed breathing room with off days from Wednesday to Saturday.
