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Clippers vs. Timberwolves Recap: Hot in Minneapolis
In what was likely their most complete team victory of the season, the Clippers snatched victory from the jaws of the much improved Timberwolves 126-115 on the road in Minneapolis.
Game Summary
After having one of the worst 1st quarters in recent memory on Monday, the Clippers looked like a much improved team to start their game against Minnesota. Although not a high bar to clear, they matched their 1st quarter scoring from the previous game within 6 minutes. The majority of the offense was coming off the back of Reggie Jackson, who came in hot with improved decision making, passing, and most importantly, shooting. He finished the quarter with a team high of 13 points. For as great as Reggie was, the team’s star player Paul George did not start as great, which is hard to do when you are in early foul trouble and on the bench by the 4 minute mark. On the topic of not looking great, the Clippers played improved basketball with better passing and shooting, but they were incredibly turnover prone nothing 6 in the first quarter. Mix that in with their poor transition defense, and you have the Wolves scoring easy buckets–they had 12 points off of those 6 turnovers. Despite some sloppy passing, the Clippers still finished the quarter with a 27-23 lead.
Carrying on to the second quarter, one might ask, what’s worse than 6 turnovers? In case you were having trouble coming up with an answer, the Clippers are graciously here with an answer: 7 turnovers! The Clippers lead quickly disappeared, and they found themselves trailing the Timberwolves a few minutes into the 2nd quarter. They didn’t fall behind due to poor shooting, but rather, they simply weren’t getting shots off. Paul George especially looked sloppy with the ball, notching a team high 6 turnovers in the first half. As a testament to how phenomenal of a player he is, even with his poor passing and sloppy decision making, George showed why he was the team’s best player by knocking down shot after shot to lead the team with 17 points. Unlike other games, it wasn’t a one man show for the Clippers. In addition to Reggie’s 1st quarter heat, Terrance Mann had his best half of the season and added 15 points of his own along with 2 rebounds and 2 assists. At the end of the half, for as sloppy as the Clippers were, their hot shooting (56% from the field and 50% from three) kept them ahead of the Timberwolves.
The Clippers came out of the locker room scorching hot in what was likely their best quarter of the short season thus far. The ball was zipping around with several players racking up a handful of assists, but the main scoring came from Paul George and Reggie Jackson. Paul George looked like an MVP candidate out there, scoring effortlessly from everywhere on the court while playing incredible defense. Jackson must have woken up thinking it was the playoffs, because Mr. June was knocking down 3 after 3, racking up 13 points in the quarter on spectacular plays. While the offensive flow was great and the Clippers were finally clicking to Clipper Nation’s rejoice, the Timberwolves kept themselves in the game with hot shooting from Okogie as well as stellar play from Towns, Edwards, and Malik Beasley. Nonetheless, the 66% FG shooting ad 62% from three overwhelmed the Timberwolves and the Clippers entered the final stretch ahead 103-88.
For as hot as the Clippers came out in the 3rd, expectations were low for the bench unit that started the 4th. Bledsoe, Mann, Kennard, Winslow, and Hartenstein started things off by giving up a quick 6-0 run, allowing Minnesota to cut the lead to single digits. While the Clippers starting lineup was on fire, it’s not surprising to see why the bench led by Bledsoe would be offensively challenged. Kennard is the only consistent shooter in that lineup, so defenses suffocate him while packing the paint for just about everyone else. Fortunately for the Clippers, some broken plays swung in their favor and the starters were able to ease their way into finishing the game. Unfortunately for them, the Wolves would simply not be put away, eventually cutting the lead down to 5 points. If that sounds bad for the Clippers, it could have been worse. The nail in the coffin of the game occurred when the Wolves, only down 5 points, were assessed a technical foul because none other than Patrick Beverley slapped Kennard’s hand away, which Mr. 94 feet then followed up by turning the ball over leading to an open Batum dunk. From there, Batum and Reggie Jackson hit some big 3s to finally seal the deal, securing the Clippers victory 126-115.
Notes
- Not a one man show: While it seems to be a recurring theme that Paul George does everything while the rest of the team struggles, tonight was different. Reggie Jackson finished with 29/5/8, Batum finished with 20/5/1, Mann finished with 17/2/3, and even Bledsoe helped out with 6/2/7.
- French Prison: Coming into this game, Karl-Anthony Towns has been a dominant force averaging nearly 25 points on 52/50/84 shooting splits. Tonight, Batum took on the task of being his primary defender (in addition to the Clippers playing a zone defense that left them looking lost on several occasions), and he held him to a quiet 18 points on 6-16 shooting. Batum was the unsung hero, making great defensive plays and hitting big, timely shots.
- What Comes Next: The Wolves–again. Let’s hope the Clippers can look as great as they did tonight, but the Wolves will be coming in hungry for a win.
Clippers vs. Timberwolves Recap: Hot in Minneapolis
Niels Pineda