Anthony Edwards scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter and Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 18 rebounds to help the Minnesota Timberwolves cool off the Los Angeles Clippers 109-105 on Sunday.
Norman Powell’s 3-pointer, his sixth of the game, capped a 20-6 run by the Clippers in a span of more than 4 minutes that cut their deficit to 103-100.
Gobert, who missed seven fumbles, adding back-to-back fumbles that doubled the Clippers’ bench in derisive laughter, made four offensive shots in the final minute to push the Wolves to the baseline on a night when they had 19 turnovers and allowed 37 problems in the fourth quarter.
“To get all the rebounds and make sure they don’t end up on the edge, that was wonderful tonight,” Edwards said. “He’s on his feet, blocking the midrange and stuff like that. Defensive Player of the Year, of course. “
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 17 points for the West-leading Wolves (28-11), who held Clippers stars Paul George (16 points) and James Harden (14 points) to a combined 9-for-33 shooting from the floor. The Wolves, who lead the NBA in scoring defense, are 16-2 at home and 20-6 against their conference.
“We just didn’t have the smartest game today,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “The ant is a monster. Rudy is huge for them. They played well. “
Kawhi Leonard had 26 points and nine rebounds to steer the Clippers (25-14), who had won 17 of their last 20 games and eight of nine before this. The Clippers made Ivica Zubac a last-minute scratch with tightness in his right calf, and the 7-foot Croatian was clearly missed in his first absence of the season.
Gobert had four blocks for the Wolves and earned a two-handed shove to the neck of Terrance Mann after the Clippers guard reacted to a top screen in the third quarter. His gaze did not deepen beyond that, however, the tension between two possible playoffs at war. glitzy parties in the packed arena on a freezing night. The Wolves stayed true to their playing philosophy even after the Clippers went into small-ball mode.
“We communicate all the time about winning this war with this guy in front of you,” coach Chris Finch said. “I think when Rudy is you and he plays the way he does, it gives you even more confidence. “
Zubac was listed as questionable, then announced as a starter when the lineups were released an hour before kickoff, but was ultimately ruled out of the game and replaced by Daniel Theis. Mason Plumlee, who has played sparingly since returning from a knee injury, also joined the night’s rotation as the Clippers tried to deal with the enviable collection of big men the Wolves have assembled.
Powell scored 24 points and Russell Westbrook had 12 points and 13 assists for the Clippers off the bench to make up for George and Harden’s nightly rest. Edwards had a lot to do with that, and he had a lot of power on the offensive end, too. as usual.
“He sees double groups each and every night. He sees a lot of other defenses thrown at him,” Lue said. Not only does he score, but he also makes the right pass, he makes the right read. “
NEXT
Clippers: Host Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
Timberwolves: Visit Detroit on Wednesday.