Ricky Rubio posted a triple-double, but Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan proved to be too much to handle as the L.A. Clippers (40-21) outdueled the Minnesota Timberwolves (13-46) Monday night, 110-105.
Minnesota, despite not making a shot from the field in the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, had a chance to tie the game off a Gary Neal three-point attempt with less than 10 seconds to play. The Timberwolves hung in the game by making 29 of 35 free throws on the night.
The Wolves came back from an 18-point first quarter deficit with the help of Rubio’s 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, but Chris Paul’s timely scoring and DeAndre Jordan’s dominating presence on the boards lifted the Clippers to victory.
Paul led the Clippers offensively with 26 points and 14 assists, while Jordan owned the boards with a game-high 18 rebounds. J.J. Redick chipped in 18 points before being ejected from the game late in the fourth quarter when he got into it with Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders.
The Clippers were without Matt Barnes (hamstring) and Blake Griffin (elbow), but Glenn Davis, Austin Rivers, and Jordan Hamilton all scored in double-figures to help carry the load offensively.
The Timberwolves are no stranger to injury, as they were once again without starters Kevin Martin (illness) and Nikola Pekovic (ankle). In fact, only eight players suited up and played for Minnesota. The Clippers saw 11 players take the floor throughout the night.
The injuries to Martin and Pekovic did open up opportunities for a more balanced stat sheet, and the young players took advantage. Rookies Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, and Adreian Payne posted 18, 14, and 12 points respectively. Second year player Gorgui Dieng also had an impressive evening as he notched a double-double.
Not to be outdone, the few veterans on the team (Ricky Rubio, Kevin Garnett, and Gary Neal) put together a nice night as well. Rubio’s triple-double, Neal’s team-high 19 points, and Garnett’s 12 points rounded out the balanced offensive attack for Minnesota.
The Clippers have won seven of their last nine games and face the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Wednesday. The Timberwolves will also return to action on Wednesday as they welcome the Denver Nuggets to Minneapolis in a battle for draft lottery positioning.