Timberwolves Wrap: Wolves hang on to beat Clippers on road

The Timberwolves finally held on to win a close game late against a good team, defeating the Clippers by a final score of 108-102.

The game was an even affair through the first quarter and the Clippers only led by two points at halftime. Karl-Anthony Towns had zero points and just three rebounds in the first half, but Andrew Wiggins paced the Wolves with 21 points.

The Wolves actually outplayed Los Angeles in the third quarter, building a double digit lead before the bench entered late in the period. But even they weathered the storm to an extent, leaving the Wolves with a two-point lead of their own heading to the final frame.

And the fourth quarter was a lot of fun. The game was tied at 98 after an out-of-timeout alley-oop dunk from DeAndre Jordan with just 1:05 showing on the clock.

After a Timberwolves timeout, Wiggins got the ball on the left block and hit a tough turnaround jumper over former Wolves lottery pick Wesley Johnson, giving the visitors the lead with 47.6 seconds remaining.

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Johnson then missed a rushed three-point attempt and committed a bad foul on Ricky Rubio in the open court, leading to a 104-100 deficit after the Wolves’ point guard knocked down both free-bees.

After another Jordan dunk, Rubio was fouled by J.J. Redick after being trapped near mid-court, and Chris Paul was assessed a technical foul after clapping in the officials face after the call. Rubio made two of three free throws, and the game was as good as over.

The Wolves played well overall. Yes, the Clippers struggled, but the Wolves generally moved the ball well on offense. The rotations were tighter, and Zach LaVine only played point guard for a few moments in the first half before playing alongside Andre Miller and Rubio for the vast majority of his 34 minutes of playing time.

Towns played an outstanding second half after a rough start to the game, ultimately putting up a double-double and grabbing some tough rebounds in the paint going up against Jordan.

This was a good win for Minnesota, and they showed poise down the stretch. Building on it at home against the Bulls on Saturday is easier said than done, however.

Tweets of the Night

Star of the Night

Andrew Wiggins – 31 points (12-21 FG, 3-5 3P, 4-4 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers

This was another very, very good game from Wiggins. We’ve been hard on him here at DWW of late, and it’s certainly been justified. But he’s been great over a two-day span in L.A.

Wednesday’s win over the Lakers was impressive not just because of the jumpers going in, although three of five made three-pointers is definitely a big deal, but the turnaround jumper to give the Wolves the lead down the stretch was huge.

And not only that, the four rebounds, three assists, and two blocks are a snapshot of the activity and intensity that Wiggins has been playing with over the past two games.

Other Notable Timberwolves Lines

Zach LaVine – 17 points (7-14 FG, 2-4 3P, 1-3 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, one steal, one turnover

Ricky Rubio – 8 points (1-6 FG, 0-1 3P, 6-7 FT), 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 turnovers

Gorgui Dieng – 12 points (4-6 FG, 4-5 FT), 10 rebounds, 5 turnovers

Karl-Anthony Towns – 17 points (7-16 FG, 1-3 3P, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, 2 assists, one block, one turnover

Who’s Got Next?

The Timberwolves will finally get a couple of much-needed nights off following tonight’s win in L.A., returning home for three games prior to the All-Star break.

Next: Is Timberwolves' Andrew Wiggins in a Sophomore Slump?

Of course, they’re anything but easy games. Saturday will bring the Chicago Bulls to Target Center, followed by a Monday date with New Orleans and a game next Wednesday against the red-hot Toronto Raptors.

A win or two to close out the unofficial first “half” of the season would be nice, wouldn’t it?