Minnesota Timberwolves (37-23) beat LA the Clippers (27-31) 94-88 on the road on Thursday, February 26. The Clippers led after three quarters, but the Timberwolves took control in the fourth.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Timberwolves had the better start, winning the first 29-27 to lead by 2 after one. The Timberwolves kept the pressure on with a 15-11 second quarter, carrying a 6-point lead into halftime.
The Clippers won the third 30-19 to turn the game around, taking a 5-point lead into the fourth. The Timberwolves took the fourth 31-20; the Timberwolves completed the comeback for a 94-88 regulation win.
What decided it
The Timberwolves took better care of the ball, turning it over on 12.5% of possessions compared with 18.2% for the Clippers. The Timberwolves got more from their shots, finishing at 48.2% effective field-goal shooting compared with 43.9% for the Clippers. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Clippers did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 31.1 against 16.9. The Timberwolves made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 98 possessions per team, the Timberwolves produced 96.4 points per 100 possessions to 90.2 for the Clippers.
Who made the difference
Anthony Edwards was the game's biggest individual force for MIN: 31 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast on 12-24 shooting. His Game Score of 20.2 led everyone. His team was -2 with him on the floor.
Derrick Jones Jr. led the Clippers with 18 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast on 7-11 shooting, good for a 13.5 Game Score.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 37% for the Timberwolves.
Across the last 5 meetings in our records, Minnesota Timberwolves lead 4-1.
The Timberwolves are now 37-23, and the Clippers are 27-31. The Timberwolves last five before this game: W-W-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.