Edwards entered the game questionable with a left knee contusion, yet moved the ball and switched assignments without hindrance. His short jumper, two midrange shots and three three-pointers helped Minnesota build an 81-68 lead by the third quarter.
Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 18 rebounds to lead his home team to victory. His four straight free-throw attempts at the end sealed it.
Anthony Edwards had 33 points
Timberwolves young guard Chris Edwards has had some rough spots recently, but his game appears to be coming together again. Edwards hit 30-point marks in five out of his last 10 games and led the team in scoring for three consecutive contests.
Edwards scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter as Minnesota soared to an 81-68 advantage. He made several shots inside and drilled three-pointers – including one that completed a 66-point rally that gave Minnesota 13-point edge going into the fourth.
Edwards scored 33 points on 11-21 shooting and added four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 38 minutes to lead Minnesota to their fourth consecutive home win and move ahead of Oklahoma City for first place in the Western Conference by half a game. Paul George managed just 16 points while James Harden only 14 while facing off against Paul George from Clippers.
Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 18 rebounds
Crowds cheered enthusiastically when Jaden McDaniels leapt high to block Kawhi Leonard’s shot with less than seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, then quickly following that up by slamming down an offensive rebound of a missed 3-pointer for Minnesota Timberwolves forward to give their team an early double-digit advantage to which sellout crowd gave fullest approval.
Rudy Gobert stood tall when it mattered most for the Wolves against an effort from Clippers coach Steve Ballmer to play small. Gobert scored four consecutive free-throws in the final 59.1 seconds to help ward off an late challenge by the team that entered as NBA leaders in terms of points in the paint.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the west-leading Wolves with 17 points, helping them extend their home winning streak to 16-2 at home and improve to 20-6 against teams outside their conference. Additionally, they limited a Clippers squad led by Paul George and James Harden to just nine field goals on 4-for-14 shooting from the field.
Norman Powell had 24 points
Anthony Edwards scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter and Rudy Gobert contributed 15 points and 18 rebounds as Rudy Gobert helped Minnesota Timberwolves cool off and defeat Los Angeles Clippers 103-100 on Thursday night. Norman Powell’s corner 3-pointer caped off an 18-6 surge during a four-plus minute stretch that brought it within 103-100 before Gobert hit four foul shots to push Minnesota past them, ending on an evening when Los Angeles committed 19 turnovers and allowed 37 fourth quarter points against.
Gobert had four blocks and delivered a two-handed jab to Terrance Mann’s neck after responding to a high screen in the third quarter. Although the situation did not escalate into anything physical, tension between potential postseason opponents was evident within an arena filled with fans on an icy evening.
Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists to lead Denver to its 17-4 home record. Jokic fell just an assist short of recording his 13th straight triple-double had it not been for his season-high five turnovers.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points
As the fourth quarter progressed and became tighter, Edwards and Gobert played key roles in keeping the Clippers at bay. Gobert missed seven free throw attempts including back-to-back airballs that caused laughter on their bench before making four foul shots within one minute to help stave off a second half comeback attempt.
Gobert also played an instrumental role on defense for Minnesota, holding Los Angeles Clippers to just 4-for-14 field goal shooting during the second half. Gobert is known as one of the NBA’s premier shot blockers and is key player behind Minnesota’s league-best defense.
Towns appeared to be in some discomfort while leaving late in the fourth quarter, holding his left knee and was listed as questionable for Saturday’s matchup against Sacramento Kings; his availability may depend on how he responds after further evaluation. Should his absence occur, more minutes would become available for players like Naz Reid, Kyle Anderson and Jaden McDaniels.
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