In a competitive but entertaining game, the Wolves earned an important victory
over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night, 130-120.
The Wolves were clearly eager to impose their will on the Clippers. Though their
aggressiveness led to a few misguided fouls and some sloppy play early on,
Minnesota tightened up their execution without dropping their energy and took it
to the Clippers in the second quarter. They went on an 18-3 run to end the
period–getting out on the break, grabbing offensive boards and making life
difficult for Los Angeles on the defensive end. Minnesota’s performance in the
final minutes of the second was some of the best basketball the Wolves had
played in weeks.
The Wolves also pounded the ball into the middle in the first half, scoring 46
points in the paint. That’s their second-highest total since the 1996-97 season.
It was clear that the Wolves were making an effort to be aggressive and get
high-quality looks at the basket, and that result paid off.
In the second half, the Wolves kept up their energy and execution to maintain
control of a competitive game. Minnesota led by as many as 23in the game, and
though the Clippers came back and cut the lead to eightgoing into the fourth,
the Wolves buckled down, survived a Lou Williams onslaught and secured an
absolutely critical victory.
around the arc and back again pic.twitter.com/FyJlYaP9sT
The Wolves undeniably got a boost from Derrick Rose and Jeff Teague, both of
whom played a full load of minutes tonight. Both guards looked fresh and
aggressive. Teague finished with 15 points and 10 assistsand Rose with 22 and
six dimes.
This game was defined by the Wolves’ balance on offense. Seven Minnesota players
reached double figures. Dario Saric got his second start of the season and
played very well, scoring 19 points including four threes and adding eight
rebounds and two steals. Gibson, coming off the bench, finished with 14 points.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Wolves in scoring with 24 points, and added 10
rebounds and two steals.
GROWN MAN BASKETBALL pic.twitter.com/7mMBrhlkGI
Outside of their balance on offense, the Wolves won because of several important
efforts across the stat sheet. They absolutely crushed the Clippers in the
turnover battle, forcing 21 Los Angeles giveaways and swiping 14 steals. The
Wolves also dominated the offensive glass 16-to-8 and assisted on 28 baskets to
the Clippers’ 24.
None of those stats are eye-popping on their own but taken together they paint a
picture of a team that was locked in, playing together and desperately wanting a
win. They got that win tonight. It’s just one step, and there’s a long way to go
to fight back into the playoffs, but by beating the Clippers the Wolves kept
that effort alive. Next up is the Rockets in what should be a very fun night.
Tickets for that game are available here.
Player: Derrick Rose
Player: Jeff Teague
Player: Karl-Anthony Towns
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