National Basketball Association
L.A. Clippers 89, Minnesota 88
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, March 3, 2024
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Officials:
#39 Tyler Ford, #51 Aaron Smith, #70 Phenizee Ransom
Attendance:
18024
By Field Level Media
Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points on 12-for-26 shooting and the Los Angeles Clippers outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves for an 89-88 win on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Norman Powell added 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting, including a 6-for-8 showing from beyond the arc, for the Clippers. Paul George finished with 15 points as Los Angeles overcame a rough game from James Harden, who finished with four points and went 0-for-10 from the field.
Anthony Edwards paced the Timberwolves with a team-high 27 points on 9-for-20 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Rudy Gobert finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds.
The score was tied at 84-all when Leonard converted a three-point play with 2:01 remaining.
Towns made a dunk to pull the Timberwolves within 87-86 with 1:40 left, but the Clippers held firm.
Leonard made two free throws to increase Los Angeles' lead to 89-86 with 13.1 seconds to go.
Edwards threw down a dunk with three seconds to go, but that proved to be Minnesota's final shot attempt.
The Timberwolves clung to a 68-67 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Terance Mann made a step-back jump shot to give Los Angeles a 59-54 lead with 6:23 remaining in the third quarter. Minnesota closed the frame on a 14-8 run to pull in front.
The Clippers led 49-46 at the half.
Minnesota jumped out to a 23-7 lead in the first seven minutes of the game. It was a drastic reversal from the past two starts for the Timberwolves, who fell behind 14-0 two games ago against Memphis and 15-2 in their previous game against Sacramento to draw the ire of coach Chris Finch.
The Timberwolves led 30-18 at the end of the first quarter. Powell made a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to cut the Clippers' deficit to 12 points.
Los Angeles surged during the second quarter. The Clippers outscored the Timberwolves 31-16 to gain a three-point halftime lead.
The Clippers opened the second quarter on a 13-0 run to grab a 31-30 edge. George made a 3-pointer from 25 feet out to finish the run.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
L.A. Clippers |
|
Minnesota |
Kawhi Leonard 32 |
Scoring |
Anthony Edwards 27 |
James Harden 10 |
Assists |
Karl-Anthony Towns 8 |
Daniel Theis 13 |
Rebounds |
Rudy Gobert 16 |
Kawhi Leonard 7 |
Free Throws Made |
Anthony Edwards 6 |
Amir Coffey 2 |
Steals |
Anthony Edwards 3 |
James Harden 2 |
Blocks |
Rudy Gobert 3 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
L.A. Clippers
|
89 |
37.6 |
10-34 |
15-17 |
17 |
40 |
5 |
7 |
9 |
Minnesota
|
88 |
38.8 |
9-33 |
17-18 |
24 |
54 |
7 |
4 |
15 |
Upcoming Games
-
Minnesota will play their next game at home against Portland. The Timberwolves have a W/L % of .628 after a win and .833 after a loss.
-
L.A. Clippers will play their next game on the road against Milwaukee. The Clippers have a W/L % of .658 after a win and .667 after a loss.