LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lou Williams led seven Clippers in double figures with 20 parts and Los Angeles routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-101 on Tuesday night in a sport lacking stars for every groups.
The Clippers bounced again from a 51-point shellacking against Dallas two days earlier despite taking half in without Kawhi Leonard for the second straight sport on yarn of of a mouth laceration. Minnesota astronomical man Karl-Anthony Towns sat out with a dislocated left wrist.
”It feels lawful to gain a pick after that corrupt loss,” mentioned Reggie Jackson, who finished with 11 parts. ”We knew that wasn’t necessarily who we are.”
Paul George added 18 parts, Serge Ibaka had 16 parts and eight rebounds, and Luke Kennard scored 15 for the Clippers.
D’Angelo Russell led the Timberwolves with 22 parts. Malik Beasley added 19 and Ricky Rubio had 17. Jarrett Culver equaled his profession high with 10 rebounds.
”We began the sport the lawful manner, nevertheless when things are now now not going our manner, all people performs selfish,” Rubio mentioned. ”We now safe got to study.”
The Timberwolves were coming off a 36-point loss to the Lakers on Sunday.
”We did now not study nothing from the sport against the Lakers,” Rubio mentioned. ”We came with the similar mindset of appropriate, lope available and hoop. That can’t continue. We are manner worse than 2-2 lawful now.”
The Clippers led by 20 at halftime and 31 in the third quarter on Williams’ three-point play. That’s after they made six 3-pointers, including four in a row, with George hitting two of his three in that stretch.
Williams’ parts came off the bench to circulation with 12 by Ivica Zubac, serving to the Clippers’ backups outscore Minnesota’s reserves 56-32.
”Zubac was as soon as making their crew roughly pay for being a smaller crew,” Jackson mentioned. ”He made it easy on us.”
The Wolves were sooner out of the gate, opening a 9-point lead to open the sport. The groups were tied as soon as in the second quarter, appropriate sooner than the Clippers’ 31-11 bustle, including 12 in a row, that extended their lead to 70-50 on the rupture.
”They could presumably presumably per chance now not close us after that,” Zubac mentioned. ”Guys were appropriate more aggressive. Our coaching staff made a point that in the sport against Dallas we had the least paint drives. Our focal point was as soon as to set the ball on the floor and gain into the paint.”
All 12 Clippers avid gamers scored in the sport. They shot 56% from the self-discipline and had a season-high 32 assists, equaling their total against Denver on Christmas.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Also lacking the sport were G Jaylen Nowell (left ankle) and G Josh Okogie (left hamstring stress).
Clippers: Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue mentioned he is now now not sure when Leonard will gain the eight stitches out of his mouth that were mandatory after he by accident got elbowed by Ibaka going for a rebound closing Friday at Denver. … The crew is using prerecorded video performances of the nationwide anthem and reruns of rap performances from outdated seasons at halftime.
CROATIA EARTHQUAKE
Zubac grew up appropriate east of the Croatian border and is a citizen of the nation the set a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck southwest of the capital of Zagreb on Tuesday. Constructions were destroyed and in any case seven folks were killed.
”I feel like I stutter the total nation, coming from a small self-discipline. Of us are very proud from Croatia,” Zubac mentioned. ”It’s tricky instances over there. That metropolis that was as soon as hit (Petrinja) basically the most was as soon as ran over for the duration of the battle and the self-discipline was as soon as unruffled in bad condition, comparatively just a few frail structures and homes.”
Zubac mentioned he spoke to folks he is conscious of in Croatia and they weren’t severely tormented by the quake.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host Washington on Friday to open the contemporary year.
Clippers: Host Portland of their final sport of the calendar year.
—
Extra AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports activities
