Los Angeles Clippers News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/los-angeles-clippers/ Minnesota sports, but different Mon, 04 Mar 2024 03:36:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Los Angeles Clippers News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/los-angeles-clippers/ 32 32 James Harden Travelled Egregiously Before Dishing Game-Winning Assist vs Timberwolves https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/james-harden-travel-egregious-vs-timberwolves/ Mon, 04 Mar 2024 03:22:34 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=48458 The Minnesota Timberwolves lost their 2nd-straight game of the season on Sunday, dropping them into 2nd place in the Western Conference. Should Wolves fans be concerned? Probably not. Anthony Edwards missed the 2nd half of their first loss (Friday) for the birth of his child, and their 88-89 loss today vs the Los Angeles Clippers should be under review, if that were a thing.

Why? Well, no game comes down to one play. But it is worth noting that the game-winning Clippers basket, which came with two minutes left to play in the 4th quarter, was on a James Harden assisted Kawhi Leonard layup in which Harden committed possibly the most egregious non-call travel in NBA history, which is saying something.

James Harden travels on play that beats Minnesota Timberwolves

On the play, Harden catches the ball at the top of the key, where he proceeds to take, count them – SIX STEPS before he tosses the admittedly beautiful bounce pass that put LA up two points, a lead they wouldn’t surrender.

Karl-Anthony Towns couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn and the Wolves, in general, were cold from deep most of the night. That is not a recipe for winning NBA games in 2024. So nobody is blaming referees for the Wolves’ L today.

Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Sign T.J. Warren to 10-Day Contract: Does This Impact Marcus Morris?

Nonetheless, these refs need to be held accountable at some point. How do you not call this travel? If you give me 30 minutes, I could teach my 12-year-old daughter (who has no idea what “travel” means outside of getting in an airplane) what a basketball travel is and she would be able to point this out in real time.

How an NBA referee missed it is beyond me. The Minnesota Timberwolves will play the 2nd half of a back-to-back on Monday night vs the awful Portland Trail Blazers. The perfect slumpbuster.

]]> Sun, 03 Mar 2024 21:36:52 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves Rudy Gobert Gets Final Laugh After Russell Westbrook Trolls Him with Air Ball Reaction Video https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/russell-westbrook-rudy-gobert-airball/ Mon, 15 Jan 2024 03:48:11 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=46658 The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday evening at Target Center, in a contest they led wire to wire. LAC came in feeling pretty good about themselves, widely considered one of the hottest teams in the NBA, but the Wolves punched them in the face early and the Clips never really recovered.

Related: Bill Simmons Wants NBA to Flex Timberwolves into National Spotlight

Behind a 33 point, 9 rebound, 6 assist performance from Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves were too much for a fully stocked LA roster that had Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook on the floor. When the final buzzer went off, the score was closer than the game felt.

Russell Westbrook trolls Rudy Gobert from Clippers bench

Speaking of Russell Westbrook, he and the rest of the Clippers bench had some fun with Rudy Gobert’s free throw struggles in the 2nd quarter, when he tossed up an airball that had the entire team clowning the Timberwolves center.

There’s no doubt Gobert’s struggles from the line made this game more of a chore for the Timberwolves to win than what it should have been. When Rudy was reinserted into the game with less than one minute left to play in the 4th quarter, he was a wretched 3 for 10 on the night.

He had to be pulled from the contest minutes earlier, after LA instituted the well-known hack-a-Rudy late-game strategy and Gobert couldn’t make them pay. And immediately after the 7-1 French center got back into the game, the Clippers put him back on the line.

Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Contracts and Salary Cap 2023-24

Westbrook has his own free throw problems to worry about

This time, however, with the game on the line, Rudy hit four-straight free throws and iced the game. Normally, I’d insert a video of the game-winning play below this paragraph, but nobody cares about a made free throw. So instead, let’s watch some clips of Russell Westbrook airballing free throws, since it’s clearly something he enjoys so much.

Related: Where the Minnesota Timberwolves Stand in Latest NBA Power Rankings

]]> Sun, 14 Jan 2024 21:48:16 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves Clippers Looking Hard at D’Angelo Russell; Wolves Bullish on Naz Reid https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/clippers-want-dangelo-russell-naz-reid/ Mon, 06 Feb 2023 22:18:12 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=41671 The NBA trade deadline is nearly upon us (Thursday, Feb. 9) and talks are heating up across the league, especially after Kyrie Irving was dealt from Brooklyn to the Dallas over the weekend. What does that mean for the Minnesota Timberwolves?

With Irving off the market, the Los Angeles Clippers are turning their gaze to other ball-handling guards. And one guy who really has their attention, according to Marc Stein in his latest “This League Uncut” podcast, is D’Angelo Russell (25:30 mark – transcribed below).

“From what I’m told, the Clippers have been looking HARD at D’Angelo Russell. I think they have interest in Naz Reid, as well. But all the signals from Minnesota have been that Naz Reid is not going to be moved.”

Marc Stein – This League Uncut Podcast
Is D’Angelo Russell to Clippers Feasible?

Clippers’ players like Terrence Mann, John Wall, Reggie Jackson and Luke Kennard have all been linked to trade proposals for Kyrie Irving and others. But there would likely be a third team involved, should they choose to deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves for D’Angelo Russell.

See, one main reason why the Wolves are inclined to deal Russell is in order to retain his maximum salary cap slot. With Anthony Edwards coming due for a maximum contract, Minnesota is poised to become one of the only teams in the NBA allowed to have FOUR maximum contracts on their roster (allowable limit is normally THREE). In theory, that would allow them to stack more talent than other teams.

But if they allow DLo’s contract to expire or trade him without getting another max player back, they will lose that bonus maximum salary slot. Dane Moore explains the situation in understandable detail in a recent episode of his podcast.

The Clippers have two max salary players on roster but they aren’t trading either of Kawhi Leonard or Paul George to Minnesota for D’Angelo Russell. If this deal is going to get done, another team will have to be involved. Maybe the Toronto Raptors, for example, who are trying to unload Kyle Lowry’s max salary.

Naz Reid isn’t going anywhere?

The last part of Marc Stein’s mention of the Timberwolves is also interesting. With Karl-Anthony Towns returning from injury sometime in the next month or two, this roster has way too many capable big men (KAT, Gobert, Reid, Garza, Knight).

Many teams are interested in acquiring Naz Reid, which would help shake that logjam. But Reid, at times, looks like an ascending star so Connelly has been hesitant to deal him. If the offer for Naz isn’t a king’s ransom, Minnesota might just keep him.

If so, how do they get him back under contract, something they’re reportedly trying to do (per Darren Wolfson) and do they look to move younger pieces like Luka Garza or Nate Knight for whatever they can get?

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2023 16:26:49 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves Timberwolves Are Growing Up https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/minnesota-timberwolves-are-growing-up-clippers-nba-play-in/ Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:42:24 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=38728 Karl-Anthony Towns was the Minnesota Timberwolves’ best chance of beating the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, in a must-win play-in game, probably the biggest men’s basketball contest held at Target Center since 2004. But, Tyronn Lou and the Clips were invested in taking KAT away.

And it worked. Karl-Anthony Towns played, possibly, the worst game of his young career. He fouled out at 7:34 remaining in the 4th quarter, with just 11 points and 5 rebounds in 24 minutes. At that time, the Wolves were down seven points (93-86) and the early morning forecast in Minneapolis called for widespread heartbreak. A storm that Minnesota sports fans are quite accustomed to.

But instead, something rather unprecedented happened. D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Patrick Beverley and the unproven young pups grew up. They found their bearings and outplayed, outsmarted a much more experienced opponent down the stretch of, in all reality, an elimination game. And, the skies full of gloom started to clear.

No KAT, No Problem

Without their best player for most of the night, the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the LA Clippers and their referee friends. Bev played the defensive instigator/agitator. Ant, DLo and Beas took over on offense and the Wolves willed themselves to a 109-104 victory in front of a home crowd that came “unglued” late in the 4th quarter.

In doing so, the Wolves claim the 7th seed and avoid the Phoenix Suns in round one of the Western Conference Playoffs. Instead, it’ll be the Memphis Grizzlies, who the Wolves have matched up well against all season. It’ll be much more difficult to take KAT away during a 7-game series, like the Clippers did on Tuesday. But last night, Karl-Anthony Towns needed his teammates and they answered the call.

D’Angelo Russell, who scored just three points in the first quarter, ended with 29 points on 10/18 (3/5 3PT) shooting and 6 assists. Anthony Edwards was equally impressive, posting 30 points on 10/21 (5/11 3PT) with 5 rebounds and both guys came through BIG TIME in the clutch.

Pat Bev Means Everything

Unlike Ant and DLo, Patrick Beverley’s contributions from Tuesday won’t show up in the box score. But if you were watching the second half last night, his importance was bursting out of your TV screen. He forced at least two important turnovers in the final minutes and slithered his way deep into the minds of Clipper players.

There was pushing, shoving, yelling and hand-swatting. Technical fouls were called, some even taken back. It was complete chaos, and in the middle of every scrum, was a smiling Pat Bev, who was perfectly within his element. Through the fog of play-in warfare, he provided the young Wolves with a beacon of confidence that allowed them to navigate to a victory.

Afterward, emotion poured out. Beverley is 100% bought in on flipping the narrative for the Timberwolves franchise. He knows what it feels like to be disrespected and, much like other guys on this roster, Pat has a giant chip on his shoulder.

Memphis up next

The Minnesota Timberwolves landing the 7th seed in the Western Conference makes the 2021-22 season a success. This is, by far, the best season this franchise and fanbase has enjoyed since 2004. Young Wolves fans have rarely, if ever, felt that rush of emotion from watching their favorite basketball team in a do-or-die game like they did last night.

Anything the Timberwolves do vs the Memphis Grizzlies in the next round will be a cherry on top of an already great year. Hopefully, that takes some pressure off of Towns and the team plays much more loose than it did earlier in the night vs the Los Angeles Clippers.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Wed, 13 Apr 2022 10:42:28 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves Clippers Big-2 > Timberwolves Big-2; Losing Streak Reaches 7 Games https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/clippers-big-2-timberwolves-big-2-losing-streak-reaches-7-games/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/clippers-big-2-timberwolves-big-2-losing-streak-reaches-7-games/#respond Sat, 14 Dec 2019 12:59:04 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=19928 .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }
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The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped their 7th-straight game on Friday night, losing to the star studded Los Angeles Clippers 124-117. The Wolves now own the second longest current losing streak in the NBA, behind the New Orleans Pelicans, who have 11 losses in a row (more good news on the Pelicans below). The Wolves have a lackluster 4-12 record at the Target Center this year and have yet to win a game in the month of December.

    Despite a rather surprising late comeback effort, the Clippers were just too much. Towns & Co. had no answer when it came to stopping Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, combining for a total of 88 points. Almost half of Kawhi’s points came at the free throw line where he was a perfect 17-17, it is really hard to keep a guy in check when you give him 17 points from the line. Leonard had more points from the charity stripe than all but 3 Timberwolves, had total points. 

    Although the Wolves continued their losing streak, there were some positives to take from this game. Former #1 picks, Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns, scored a combined 73 points. Towns provided his 19th double-double on the season, with 12 rebounds to go along with his 39 points. 

    As of right now, it seems like the Timberwolves will be stuck in the middle of the pack once again, leaving them with an end of lottery draft pick. I say we tank for *Lamelo Ball and start our own big three!

    I mean really, all I want for Christmas is to write a positive article about any Minnesota Basketball team… is that too much to ask for?

    The Wolves look to get of the schneid against,-that’s right; the coldest team in the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans, Wednesday night at the Target Center.

*sarcasm

Cam Thompson | Minnesota Sports Fan

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