Shooting guard Anthony Edwards had 31 points and a big fourth quarter as the Minnesota Timberwolves took down the Los Angeles Clippers 94-88, Thursday night at Intuit Dome.
Holding a one point lead with 42.9 seconds to play, Edwards hit a highly contested 3-pointer to put Minnesota up 92-88. A bad pass out of bounds from Clippers forward Nicolas Batum gave the ball back to the Timberwolves. Edwards hit two free throws to put the game out of reach.
The Clippers were without forward Kawhi Leonard due an ankle injury but saw steady production with five players in the double figures. Forward Derek Jones Jr. led the team with 18 points and guard Benedict Mathurin scored 14 points with six rebounds. Guard Donte DiVincenzo had 18 points with four made 3-pointers for the Timberwolves.
Minnesota led 29-27 after a back and forth first quarter.
The Timberwolves (36-23) were unfazed by an early 7-0 run from the Clippers (27-30). Timely 3-pointers from DiVincenzo and aggressive attacks inside the paint from Edwards allowed Minnesota to bounce back.
Both teams had a lot of success shooting from the floor in the opening quarter but struggled in the second frame. Minnesota shot 32% from the field in the second quarter and Los Angeles was 18%.
The Timberwolves held a 44-38 lead at halftime.
Minnesota pulled ahead as the Clippers were just 1-for-12 from three point range and had nine turnovers in the first half. Sloppy play kept the game close for Los Angeles heading into the locker room.
It was a strong third quarter for the Clippers who capitalized on Minnesota’s miscues. Guard Kris Dunn tied the game at 50 with a layup off a Timberwolves turnover and Jones Jr. had an emphatic slam on the following possession to give Los Angeles its first lead since the first quarter, 52-50.
The Clippers rolled in the third quarter with a 14-4 run at one point and led by as much as six. Los Angeles headed into the final quarter up 68-63.
Minnesota regained the lead in a competitive fourth quarter. Edwards came up big down the line with 11 points in the final quarter. Both sides traded shots but the Timberwolves were able to stave off any response Los Angeles had.
The Clippers will look to bounce back as they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. Tipoff is at 6 p.m.