The Los Angeles Clippers picked up their third win in a row with a 153-128 demolition of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who lost their third in a row. The Clippers are now 33-32, finally above .500, and looking to make it into the Playoffs. The Timberwolves have fallen to the No. 6 seed with a 40-26 record after their own losses and the results of rivals around them.
While Anthony Edwards (36 PTS, 11-17 FG) tried his best, Kawhi Leonard (45 PTS, 15-20 FG, 6-9 3PT) was a class apart and led the Clippers to this win. Leonard is averaging 28.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in arguably the best production season of his career, and the Clippers might be a Playoff team purely because of the high-level of basketball Leonard has played this season.
Julius Randle (11 PTS, 3-10 FG) had a disappointing night, with Naz Reid’s 18 points not cutting it in terms of co-star production behind Edwards in this clash.
Let’s take a look at how the Clippers as a whole fared in this Western Conference matchup.
Kawhi Leonard: A+
Game Stats: 45 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 1 TOV, 15-20 FG, 6-9 3PT, 9-10 FT, 32 MIN
Leonard is looking like a genuinely unstoppable scorer this season. The Timberwolves boast some of the best defensive players in the NBA, but none of them were a match for Leonard, who scored whenever he wanted to in this game. His mid-range was dropping effortlessly, and his three-point shooting may as well be among the best in the NBA right now.
If his box score stats weren’t enough to highlight that he had an A+ night, let’s look at his plus/minus. Leonard was a +41 in 32 minutes of action, with the second-closest Clippers being Derrick Jones Jr. with a +19. He was the best player by a mile every time he was on the floor, which is why the Clippers are looking unfazed even after losing Leonard’s two co-stars in trades over the winter.
Darius Garland: B+
Game Stats: 21 PTS, 1 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 3 TOV, 8-13 FG, 5-9 3PT, 23 MIN
The first new co-star for Leonard is 26-year-old guard Darius Garland, who had his best game since joining the Clippers against the Timberwolves. He’s still on a minutes restriction coming off a foot injury, but he did more than enough damage in the 23 minutes of action he got.
The Timberwolves didn’t have an answer for Garland’s speed as the guard confused defenses with his unique ability to cut off drives for pull-up jumpers. He didn’t attack the rim like we’ve known him to, but that might come later as Garland gets healthier. It’ll be crucial for the Clippers if they want to make a Playoff run this season.
Bennedict Mathurin: B
Game Stats: 22 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 2 TOV, 5-10 FG, 2-4 3PT, 10-12 FT, 25 MIN
Winter arrival Mathurin had a great night as well, proving the Clippers might have gotten the two perfect pieces into their setup to stay competitively afloat this season. Mathurin relentlessly attacked the Timberwolves’ defense and made a profound impact by getting himself to the line 12 times in the game.
While his shotmaking wasn’t bad, it could use some more work. The fact that he crossed the 20-point barrier without a hot-shooting game shows his ability to generate scoring opportunities as a three-level scorer.
Jordan Miller: B
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 6-13 FG, 0-4 3PT, 2-4 FT, 29 MIN
Miller has been a homegrown Clippers talent who’s finally found a spot in the rotation after the team’s major changes over the winter. Despite having an uncertain rotational load on him from game-to-game, the 26-year-old swingman stays ready to contribute whenever his name is called upon. That’s what he did tonight with a strong all-around performance. He didn’t excel in any one thing in particular, but he was ever-present on the court and helped the Clippers make winning plays.
Derrick Jones Jr.: B
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 4 STL, 1 TOV, 4-6 FG, 0-1 3PT, 4-4 FT, 29 MIN
Jones Jr. has been an important member of the Clippers’ rotation all season due to his ability as a POA defender. While he didn’t have great success in isolation tonight, he did play a role in stopping Randle’s production while contributing with an offensive performance that exceeded the expectations placed upon him.
Kris Dunn: B-
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 2 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL, 2-3 FG, 1-1 3PT, 24 MIN
This wasn’t a good defensive showing from the Clippers, but Kris Dunn can argue he was the most impactful Clippers defender on the night. He had limited success guarding Edwards, but he made it very challenging for both him and Randle. His ability to generate steals and convert them into points off turnovers is a skill that helped the Clippers tonight.
Isaiah Jackson: B-
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 2-3 FG, 5-6 FT, 1 TOV, 18 MIN
Jackson came off the bench as the Clippers’ emergency backup center after Yanic Konan-Niederhauser’s season-ending injury. Jackson had a solid night against an imposing Timberwolves frontcourt, ending the night with a stuffed stat sheet and a +14 impact.
Nicolas Batum: C+
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 2-2 FG, 2-2 3PT, 12 MIN
The 37-year-old Batum had a great impact in his limited minutes, taking two shots and sinking both of them. He tried being a defensive presence, but coach Ty Lue relied on other options to maintain their success.
Brook Lopez: C
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 3 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 1-2 FG, 1-2 3PT, 24 MIN
Lopez was the Clippers’ backline defender for half the game, but it wasn’t the most productive time. The Timberwolves did find ways to score at the rim despite Lopez’s presence, with the Clippers winning this in spite of that weakness due to their own offensive success.
Sean Padulla: N/A
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 1 REB, 3 AST, 2-4 FG, 2-4 3PT, 6 MIN
Padulla was the most impressive player in garbage time for the Clippers, but due to the lack of stakes and limited minutes, we will be giving him and other garbage-time Clippers an N/A grade.
Norchad Omier: N/A
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 1 AST, 1 STL, 3-3 FG, 6 MIN
Omier went perfect from the field in garbage time, making his presence felt despite being a largely unknown rookie.
Cam Christie: N/A
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3P, 6 MIN
Mavericks guard Max Christie’s younger brother, Cam, had a decent cameo appearance in garbage time. He was active, notably grabbing two offensive rebounds in this spell.
Kobe Sanders: N/A
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 1-1 FG, 6 MIN
Sanders has previously been a rotational player, but today, he was arguably the least-impressive player in garbage time.
