Badly needing a win after three straight losses, the Minnesota Timberwolves responded with a 108-101 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
The trio of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook combined for 62 points, but they got there by making just 22 of 51 shots, including a nearly 7-of-19 from the floor for Leonard.
Six Minnesota players scored in double digits, led by Jaden McDaniels’ 20 points. Anthony Edwards had 18 points, Rudy Gobert had 16, Kyle Anderson and Naz Reed had 12, and Taurean Prince had 10.
The road victory was even greater considering the teams that were breathing down Minnesota’s neck — the Lakers, Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Thunder — all lost on Tuesday night. Dallas also lost, which means Minnesota…
- half a game behind Dallas for 7th place
- One game behind Clippers and Warriors for the 6th and 5th spot
- Two games behind Sun for fourth place
And what looked like a challenging four-game California road trip is suddenly more manageable thanks to LeBron James’ ankle injury. LeBron will not play when the Timberwolves face the Lakers on Friday night.
Minnesota forced 25 turnovers and converted them into 29 points and dominated the Clippers in the paint, outscoring them 60–38.