The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the LA Clippers 108-106 tonight, in what was a massive win at home. The Timberwolves had to contend with Kawhi Leonard, who played in just his second game this season. But they made life difficult for the former Finals MVP, containing him and the rest of the Clippers as they pulled off a close victory against them.
Anthony Edwards was once again brilliant, putting up 36 points (14-29 FG), eight assists, seven rebounds, and one steal. Naz Reid came off the bench to contribute 18 points (8-14 FG), seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks. Donte DiVincenzo put up a strong performance, with 15 points (5-12 FG), eight rebounds, and one assist.
As for the Clippers, they did have some players step up. While Kawhi Leonard struggled in his 21 minutes, with just eight points (3-11 FG), two rebounds, two assists, and one steal, their other stars were performing well.
Norman Powell continued his strong season, with 25 points (7-17 FG), six rebounds, one assist, and one steal. James Harden had an inefficient night, with 22 points (8-22 FG), eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and two blocks.
The Clippers just couldn’t get things going on the night. The priority on the night seemed to be to help Kawhi Leonard get back into game shape, rather than trying to win the game. The Timberwolves, who have struggled greatly this season, handled the Clippers with relative ease, despite their players not playing all that great either.
With that in mind, here are three key takeaways from the Timberwolves’ win over the Clippers.
Timberwolves Shoot Lights Out From Deep
The Timberwolves were absolutely excellent from beyond the arc tonight. As a team, they shot 16-39 from deep, converting 41.0% of their shots from range. It was an absolutely incredible performance from them as a team. Anthony Edwards shot a little under 50% from deep, going 6-13 from range.
The Timberwolves have been a streaky three-point shooting team at best this season, and inconsistent at worst. But tonight, they showed that when they get going as a team, they can shoot their opposition off the court. Head coach Chris Finch will be thrilled with his players’ output tonight.
The Timberwolves are shooting 37.9% from beyond the arc this season, which is the third-best across the season. But their inability to convert down the stretch during games has cost them quite a lot, causing them to lose several games.
Timberwolves Contain Clippers In Third Quarter
The Timberwolves started the second half down nine points. In the third quarter, they took the game by the horns, scoring 33 points, and containing the Clippers to just 23 points. This allowed the Timberwolves to take a marginal one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
This kind of strong third-quarter performance put the Timberwolves in a position to go bucket-for-bucket with the Clippers in the fourth quarter. Containing the Clippers’ stars to just 23 points in the third quarter was a big boost, as the Clippers were struggling to shoot the ball, but were holding the Timberwolves off on the defensive end.
Anthony Edwards was a defensive marshall for the Timberwolves, carrying the squad and leading them to give their best effort on defense.
Clippers Starters Can’t Shoot The Three Ball
The Clippers starters went an abysmal 7-25 from beyond the arc tonight, making just 28% of their shots. By contrast, the Timberwolves starters went 15/27 from the three-point line, making about 55.5% of their shots from deep. This disparity in three-point shooting between the two starting lineups proved to be a big difference.
The Clippers’ bench saved them some blushes, making many shots from range. As a collective, the Clippers bench went 5/10 from the three-point line, making 50.0% of their shots from deep. As a team, they shot 12-35 from the line, making 34.3% of their attempts.
The Clippers need to improve their three-point shooting. James Harden is a volume shooter unlike any other player, but he is bound to have off nights like he did tonight from deep (3-11 3P). The rest of the Clippers must try and be more clinical in order to make up for his deficiencies.
Kawhi Leonard is back, and that is the good news for the Clippers. While he has struggled in his first two games back, that is to be expected, given the lengthy time away from the court. As he finds his rhythm and chemistry with the Clippers, their team will improve.
But in the meantime, the rest of the squad needs to carry some of the weight for him. They play against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, at 9 PM EST. Playing in Denver is always a challenge because of the high altitude. But the Clippers must take their game to an even higher level if they want to turn their form around.
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