Timberwolves Wrap: Comeback in over Clippers

The Timberwolves came back from a 12-point deficit to hang on and defeat the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on Thursday night.

101. 77. 104. 86. Final

The Timberwolves had the good fortune of playing the Clippers in their first game without Chris Paul, who had thumb surgery earlier in the day, and something like a week to 10 days prior to Blake Griffin‘s return from a knee injury.

But even without their two best players, the Clippers built a seven-point hafltime lead that eventually balooned to 12 before Minnesota surged late in the third quarter. It took until the final minutes of the game to overtake the home team, but it eventually happened.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins were great on this night, which also saw Ricky Rubio leave the game right before halftime with tightness in his hip. Kris Dunn started the third quarter at point guard and struggled until Tyus Jones was inserted to play alongside the rookie.

The Dunn-Jones tandem was largely successful, and Dunn eventually began to play a bit better on offense and pulled down a key rebound in the final minute.

Early in the game, the Wolves simply could not slow down DeAndre Jordan, who represented nearly all of the Clippers’ offense in the absence of Paul and Griffin. He scored 29 points and grabbed 16 rebounds on the night while shooting a crazy 12-of-15 from the field.

More from Timberwolves News

The Timberwolves did turn to “Hack-a-Jordan” down the stretch, and while Jordan has improved his free throw shooting somewhat this season, he only made five of his 12 attempts on the night, including 4-of-8 when the Wolves began fouling him off the ball.

Towns knocked down a huge three-pointer at the top of the key to cut into what had been a four-point Clippers lead, and then hit back-to-back mid-range jumpers to bring the Wolves back within one and then give them a one-point lead next time down.

After another empty possession by the Clippers, Minnesota ran a poor possession and Towns forced a tough, contested three-point attempt. But Wiggins grabbed the rebound and hit both free throws with less than six seconds remaining.

After a timeout, J.J. Redick missed a three-pointer before an offensive rebound gave Jamal Crawford an opportunity at a last-second heave, which also missed.

Star of the Night

Karl-Anthony Towns: 37 points (17-24 FG, 1-2 3P, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, 5 assists, one steal, 2 turnovers

Towns was fantastic, showcasing the versatility of his game. He knocked down a bevy of mid-range jumpers, but also got to the rim and scored on put-backs. Somehow, Towns only attempted two free throws, but he was active in the paint despite a tough assignment. Defense was an issue, but the Wolves as a team struggled once again in that area.

Towns hit a huge three-pointer and back-to-back mid-range jumpers down the stretch, and vaulting the Timberwolves into the lead cemented his Star of the Night status.

Notable Timberwolves Lines

Andrew Wiggins: 27 points (9-19 FG, 1-2 3P, 8-10 FT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, one block, 2 turnovers
Gorgui Dieng: 13 points (5-8 FG, 3-3 FT), 7 rebounds, one assist
Zach LaVine: 9 points (3-13 FG, 1-6 FT, 2-2 FT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, one steal, 2 turnovers

Wiggins was great, and despite Towns sucking up a lot of the possessions, the 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year was consistent all night long. And speaking of consistency, have you ever heard of Gorgui Dieng?

LaVine struggled mightily, but was somehow still the fourth-leading scorer on the night for Minnesota with just nine points.

Next: Timberwolves Rumors: Ricky Rubio Still On Trading Block...

Who’s Up Next?

The Wolves have a couple of days off before hosting the Denver Nuggets at 6:00 p.m. Central Time on Sunday. Then, it’s back to the road…

Home/Timberwolves News