Incensed Timberwolves duo Gobert/Russell sink Clippers

Same teams, different outcome

This was the second meeting of the season for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the LA Clippers. In the first contest, the Timberwolves were reeling amidst a six-game losing streak, and the opportunistic Clippers were more than happy to take advantage. In that game, D’Angelo Russell was unable to suit up and joined teammates Jordan McLaughlin, Taurean Prince, and Karl-Anthony Towns on the bench as the Timberwolves struggled to put up points.

Without much of their offense on the basketball court, the Timberwolves ended the game with their lowest offensive output of the season, scoring just 88 points. The Timberwolves did not have a single player put up more than 19 points, a high-water mark that was set by Anthony Edwards because the Clippers could focus their defense on just one or two players at a time.

The Minnesota Timberwolves would lose that game by a disappointing score of 99 to 88.

That was then, this is now

While the Minnesota Timberwolves are not fully healed up just yet, the two teams’ rosters were a bit more similarly disadvantaged. Kawhi Leonard sat this one out for the Clippers, as did guard Paul George. That matched up with the Timberwolves playing without Karl-Anthony Town and Jordan McLaughlin in this second game between the two teams, and that changed the way this game played out.

With more evenly matched rosters, and the game being played at Target Center, it was the opportunistic Timbewolves’ turn to take advantage of their guests. Unlike their first encounter, the Timberwolves roster in this game was able to score almost at will, and surpassed their previous game’s total of 88 points with 4:54 remaining in the third quarter, as backup center Naz Reid made a layup to extend the Timberwolves lead to 89-68.

Ah, but that was the third quarter, and we have yet to discuss the two featured Minnesota Timberwolves players yet. Let’s get right to it then.