The Los Angeles Clippers became the first team in NBA history to climb back up to being over .500 in the same season they once were 15 games below .500 with a 153-128 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. The team has persevered through multiple trades and other changes and has a genuine opportunity at making the NBA Playoffs.
Kawhi Leonard deserves huge credit for this Clippers season, averaging 28.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, and leading the franchise through all the changes. He went ballistic against the Timberwolves, putting up 45 points (15-20 FG), five rebounds, and five assists. But teammate Bennedict Mathurin got attention after the game for getting into a scuffle with Naz Reid over who gets the game ball.
The scuffle went viral on social media, but what has gone viral after that is Leonard’s surprisingly emotive reaction to the moment. As the scuffle started, Leonard is seen smiling and saying, ‘We got a fight,’ as others rush to defuse the situation.
Clippers Wolves Kawhi pic.twitter.com/JZJ27tFrZK
— Moonball (@moonball30) March 12, 2026
Leonard’s reaction in the moment was perfect, as the Mathurin-Reid scuffle was unlikely to devolve into anything major. It was a disagreement about the game ball, as Mathurin wanted to secure it for Clippers’ debutant Sean Pedulla after a 3-3 FG performance.
It’s unclear where the ball ended up, but it’s definitely amusing for all to see grown men argue over who gets to keep a basketball after a game. While no incident comes close to what happened between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Pacers, it’s noteworthy every time it happens across the league.
Mathurin had put up 22 points (5-10 FG) off the bench in the game, while Reid put up 18 points (8-15 FG). Both players aren’t antagonistic towards the other, so this incident is likely a momentary thing that won’t be repeated.
This was an important clash for both teams, as the Timberwolves entered the contest on a two-game skid while the Clippers had won their last two. With the West Playoff race separated by thin margins, neither team could afford to lose.
The Clippers’ win keeps them in the race to secure a 7-8 Play-In spot ahead of the Golden State Warriors, while the Timberwolves’ loss dropped them to No. 6 in the West. They’re tied with No. 5 Denver Nuggets in terms of record, but any loss at this point can greatly impact Playoff positioning.
Losing a rotational player to a suspension would not be ideal for the Clippers right now, so they should be thankful that the Mathurin-Reid saga ended easily. If the situation escalated into a fight like Kawhi thought was happening, there’d be serious disciplinary consequences for everybody involved.
