Clippers run winning streak to 7 games, blow out T’Wolves

LOS ANGELES — And to deliberation it was the Clippers who approached cautiously, insisting they were wary of a twice-beaten team’s built-up bite.

And the Minnesota Timberwolves who came swaggering in, emboldened by a juicy triumph successful the aforesaid gathering against the Lakers the erstwhile night.

“You person a large triumph past night, a seasoned squad volition travel back, refocus, hide astir it and determination on,” Minnesota Coach Chris Finch said earlier tipoff. “A younger team, you astir apt person to walk much clip getting them focused to bash that, truthful that’s what we’re trying to get them to recognize today.”

Lesson learned. Or delivered, astatine least.

The Clippers bushed the Timberwolves for the 3rd clip successful 11 days, and they did it successful style, storming past the visitors successful a rollicking 129-102 triumph connected Saturday astatine Staples Center, wherever Reggie Jackson was dancing on with the fans successful the last fewer minutes, the temper successful the gathering celebratory.

Three of the victories successful the Clippers’ existent seven-game winning streak came against Minnesota (4-8), besides including 2 successful a enactment — 126-115 and 104-84 — successful Minneapolis the week before.

In the archetypal of those, the Clippers made 58.3% of their 3-pointers (going 21 of 36).

On Saturday, they sympathized not astatine each with the T’Wolves’ hangover pursuing their 107-83 triumph Friday against the Lakers, whom they’d outscored 40-12 successful the 3rd 4th of that game.

Instead, L.A. gave the T’Wolves a sensation of their ain medicine. The Clippers enactment connected a 38-17 second-quarter session to physique a 27-point pb astatine halftime, erstwhile they led 70-43, having scored their astir points successful a fractional truthful acold this season.

And they did it by attacking aboriginal and often — conscionable astir matching their play mean for points successful the overgarment (41.8) with 40 astatine halftime. They outdid their 14.9 points-per-game fastbreak mean by intermission erstwhile they had 22.

The Clippers (8-4) maintained their borderline and their lead, aft that, playing adjacent with Minnesota successful a 28-28 2nd quarter, which ended with Isaiah Hartenstein ripping a rebound distant from the T’Wolves second-year prima Anthony Edwards like, well, a grown antheral taking candy from a baby. Hartenstein threw a two-handed walk to Luke Kennard, who zipped the shot to Paul George successful the country for a wide-open 3-pointer that pushed the pb to 98-71.

With that, it was clip to telephone it a time for George, who logged 27 minutes — the second-fewest this play — and finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists done 3 quarters.

Reggie Jackson scored 21 points, Eric Bledsoe finished with 14 — and 9 assists and 5 rebounds. Ivica Zubac notched a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double. And disconnected the bench, Terance Mann had 14 points and Hartenstein came up with his 4th vocation double-double: 12 points — including a 3-pointers with 2:17 near that pushed the pb to 125-95 — and 12 rebounds.

On the different end, the Clippers collectively held Minnesota to 40-for-102 (39.2%) shooting, including conscionable 11 for 36 from (30.6%) from 3-point range. L.A. besides outrebounded the Timberwolves, 58-45.

Edwards had a team-high 21 points, D’Angelo Russell had 15 points and 8 assists. Jaden McDaniels added 13 points.

Former Clipper Patrick Beverley responded to a lukewarm ovation pursuing the erstwhile team’s first-quarter tribute video by forming a bosom with his hands implicit his hand, signaling his appreciation to the Clippers fans for whom helium played truthful hard for 4 seasons.

Beverley played 23 minutes and finished with 5 points, a rebounds and 2 assists.

The Clippers person a speedy turnaround they big the Chicago Bulls astatine 6:30 p.m Sunday.

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