“They made shots, we didn’t make some”.
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Closing out games has been a challenge for the Clippers, but this time the team responded with eight consecutive points on a three-point basket by J.J. Redick, a steal by Luc Mbah a Moute that set up a fadeaway jump shot by Paul, and a basket and a free throw by Blake Griffin to push the advantage to 96-83.
Andrew Wiggins led the T’Wolves with 21 points, Zach LaVine scored 18 and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 17.
“First and foremost, we made shots”, said Paul, who scored six points in the final 41 seconds to seal the win. That sense of urgency was apparent on Friday, when the Clippers scored at least 27 points in each of the first three quarters before letting the starters watch most of the fourth from the bench.
It’s the kind of play the Clippers have to make in the game’s biggest moments, and it’s the kind of play the Clippers haven’t been making. Having seen their 15-point lead dwindle to five with 4:03 left in the game, the Clippers embarked on an 8-0 run to lead by 13 on their way to a 107-99 victory over the T’Wolves before a sellout crowd of 19,060 at Staples Center.
Ricky Rubio sat out his second straight game due to soreness in the ankle that was surgically repaired last season. Minnesota forward Nemanja Bjelica had 10 points in 22 minutes after missing four games because of a bruised left knee. Lack of it is one reason why the Clippers took an 8-8 record into their Sunday matinee against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“They’re playing awesome, I think Sam Mitchell has done an unbelievable job in an incredibly hard situation”, head coach Rivers said of Sunday’s opponents, who have won eight of their first 16 this season.
The Clippers led 48-37 at the break.
But after taking Karl-Anthony Towns with the first pick in the 2015 Draft, the Wolves, despite the tragic death of head coach and president Flip Saunders on the eve of the season, are like a team reborn.
Overall, Los Angeles outshot Minnesota 52 percent to 45.1.
“We are winning games”, Paul said, when asked if the Clippers are improving. We know what we are trying to do. “It”s not always going to be pretty. Towns and LaVine also had strong showings, both with a near double-double (17 points and eight rebounds for Towns, 18 points and seven assists for LaVine).
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Clippers: Mbah a Moute was the fourth player this season to start at the 3 spot for Rivers, who has used eight different starting lineups.
