After beating the Lakers the night before, things changed dramatically for the Timberwolves in their second straight game at the Staples. The Minneapolis team were crushed by the Clippers who remain in a state of imperial form, and who took their seventh consecutive victory by a resounding 129-102 to continue their qualifying climb. Tyronn Lue’s team is already fifth in the West, beating teams like the Lakers themselves or the Utah Jazz.
The clash was decided very early on by the locals, who already won by 27 points (70-43) at halftime after starring in a sensational second quarter. The Angelenos completely shut down the Wolves offense thanks to their excellent work on Karl-Anthony Towns, while on the other side of the court Reggie Jackson and Eric Bledsoe constantly punished Minnesota’s weakness with their ability to score or generate good situations for his companions. Everything was therefore practically resolved after the second quarter, turning the second half into a mere procedure in which the visitors did not even make any attempt to come back.
In said second half, Paul George found a little more time to shine and managed to finish as the top scorer of the clash with 23 points, of which 14 came in the third quarter. The forward, who also captured 9 rebounds, did not need to offer a particularly dominant version for his team to look so good, and he was able to afford a somewhat calmer night in which he played just 26 minutes.
This was because as many as five other Clippers players hit double-digit scoring, most notably Reggie Jackson with 21. Terance Mann followed with 16, while Eric Bledsoe, who reached 14, excelled at other sections distributing 9 assists, capturing 5 rebounds and stealing 2 balls. Isaiah Hartenstein and Ivica Zubac closed the list with 12 and 10 points respectively, both also grabbing 12 rebounds each.
Who did not have his night at all was Towns, whom the great work of the Californians made him sign one of the worst games of his career. The pivot, who stayed at 3/11 in shooting, could not exceed 8 points, signing his worst score since October 2018, when, in this case against Spurs, he also stayed at 8. Without him, the Timberwolves never found a way to truly enter the party, and ended up succumbing without resistance.
“They have fought with him and sought two against one even before he received. They have managed to get the ball away from their hands in every possible way. We have to find a way to solve situations like this, and that is my job, ”acknowledged Chris Finch.
Anthony Edwards, with 21 points, was the one who added the most for his team, followed by the 15 achieved by both D’Angelo Russell and Jaden McDaniels. The difference, however, was such that Minnesota men’s attempts to save the ballot were of little use.
(Cover photo Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
