Timberwolves Wrap: Wolves dominate the Clippers

After a four-day layoff thanks to an unplayable court on Monday night, the Timberwolves obliterated the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday while Denver lost, pulling Minnesota to within two-and-a-half games of a playoff spot.

The Timberwolves are already in must-win mode, for all intents and purposes. Sure, there are still 18 games remaining on the schedule after Wednesday’s win over the Clippers, but in the congested mess that is the #8 through #12 spots in the Western Conference, every win is significant.

After a tough overtime loss in San Antonio on Saturday, the Wolves were set to take on Portland, one of the contenders for the eighth spot in the West, on Monday. But condensation on the floor caused the game to be postponed, and that meant that Tom Thibodeau’s crew had a full three-plus days off.

The Clippers came to Target Center looking for a third straight win and enjoying what has been a relatively rare game with both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin healthy. Los Angeles is battling for seeding as well, although their presence in the postseason is all but certain.

The Timberwolves came out swinging, building a double-digit lead before the Clippers had scored three baskets. Ricky Rubio and Shabazz Muhammad were the ones inflicting much of the damage, as Bazz received his first start in over two years due to an illness to Brandon Rush. Additionally, while Andrew Wiggins started sluggishly and struggled with his shot all night, Karl-Anthony Towns picked up the slack.

There was even some chippiness early, as Gorgui Dieng got into it with Griffin on more than one occasion, with both players receiving technical fouls. The physical play continued throughout, with Dieng wisely needling Griffin — tugging on his jersey, nudging him in the back — and getting under his skin while the Clippers star finished just 5-of-11 from the field with just 16 points and four rebounds.

The Timberwolves did have to withstand a furious run towards the end of the second quarter after Towns picked up his third personal foul. Paul hit a three from half-court at the halftime buzzer to pull within three points at the break, but the Wolves outscored L.A. by 11 points in the third frame to take control of the game headed into the fourth.

There were only a few moments of tension in the final 12 minutes, although the Wolves were always able to stem the tide. Both Kris Dunn and Rubio finished the game with five personal fouls apiece, but the Wolves starter was able to avoid being goaded into a sixth and disqualifying foul down the stretch despite Paul’s best efforts.

This was an impressive win, as the Wolves’ defensive effort was every bit as fantastic as it had been prior to the extended layoff. The toughness and energy extended throughout the game, and it’s exactly the kind of play that needs to continue over the final month-plus of the season.

Star of the Night

Karl-Anthony Towns: 29 points (14-21 FG, 1-5 3P, 0-0 FT), 14 rebounds, 2 assists, one turnover

Towns was fantastic, pacing the Wolves early and late with only a brief bout with foul trouble slowing down his mid-game production.

Somehow, Towns once again failed to attempt a free throw as the official’s season-long quest to not allow the reigning Rookie of the Year to reach the charity stripe continued. (I’m only half-kidding, although KAT’s propensity to complain no doubt does not help his case.)

Towns was a monster on the glass, pulling down 14 rebounds to DeAndre Jordan‘s 13 and Griffin’s aforementioned four. He also only turned the ball over one time.

Notable Timberwolves Lines

• Ricky Rubio: 15 points (5-12 FG, 1-5 3P, 4-4 FT), 12 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 turnovers
• Andrew Wiggins: 20 points (5-17 FG, 0-3 3P, 10-10 FT), 3 assists, 2 rebounds, one steal, one turnover
• Shabazz Muhammad: 17 points (7-13 FG, 0-1 3P, 3-4 FT), 6 rebounds, one steal, 3 turnovers

Rubio was awesome and could have easily won our prestigious Star of the Night award. His flurry of scoring and assists early with a beautiful pick-pocketing of Griffin in the open floor were outstanding, and there were only a couple of forced jumpers overall on the night. The only other issue with the performance was the foul trouble that nearly found him the bench midway through the fourth quarter.

Wiggins struggled mightily, only managing to reach the 20-point threshold because of a garbage time dunk. He simply couldn’t knock down a jumper, and seemed to be pressing much of the night.

Muhammad started in Rush’s place and had a great game, showing his typical hustle and dedication on the boards. It helped that he was able to be hidden on the defensive end of the floor being matched up against former teammate Luc Mbah a Moute.

Who’s Up Next?

The Timberwolves will host the mighty Golden State Warriors on Friday night at Target Center. Minnesota has won six of their past eight games with the only losses coming on the road at the 44-21 Rockets and the 50-13 Spurs.

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This team is legitimately improved, and only the NBA’s toughest schedule down the stretch is likely to keep them from making the playoffs.