National Basketball Association
L.A. Clippers 89, Minnesota 88
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, March 3, 2024
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Officials: #39 Tyler Ford, #51 Aaron Smith, #70 Phenizee Ransom
Attendance: 18024

Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points on 12-for-26 shooting and the Los Angeles Clippers outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves for an 89-88 win on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.

Norman Powell added 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting, including a 6-for-8 showing from beyond the arc, for the Clippers. Paul George finished with 15 points as Los Angeles overcame a rough game from James Harden, who finished with four points and went 0-for-10 from the field.

Anthony Edwards paced the Timberwolves with a team-high 27 points on 9-for-20 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Rudy Gobert finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds.

The score was tied at 84-all when Leonard converted a three-point play with 2:01 remaining.

Towns made a dunk to pull the Timberwolves within 87-86 with 1:40 left, but the Clippers held firm.

Leonard made two free throws to increase Los Angeles' lead to 89-86 with 13.1 seconds to go.

Edwards threw down a dunk with three seconds to go, but that proved to be Minnesota's final shot attempt.

The Timberwolves clung to a 68-67 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Terance Mann made a step-back jump shot to give Los Angeles a 59-54 lead with 6:23 remaining in the third quarter. Minnesota closed the frame on a 14-8 run to pull in front.

The Clippers led 49-46 at the half.

Minnesota jumped out to a 23-7 lead in the first seven minutes of the game. It was a drastic reversal from the past two starts for the Timberwolves, who fell behind 14-0 two games ago against Memphis and 15-2 in their previous game against Sacramento to draw the ire of coach Chris Finch.

The Timberwolves led 30-18 at the end of the first quarter. Powell made a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to cut the Clippers' deficit to 12 points.

Los Angeles surged during the second quarter. The Clippers outscored the Timberwolves 31-16 to gain a three-point halftime lead.

The Clippers opened the second quarter on a 13-0 run to grab a 31-30 edge. George made a 3-pointer from 25 feet out to finish the run.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
L.A. Clippers   Minnesota
Kawhi Leonard 32 Scoring Anthony Edwards 27
James Harden 10 Assists Karl-Anthony Towns 8
Daniel Theis 13 Rebounds Rudy Gobert 16
Kawhi Leonard 7 Free Throws Made Anthony Edwards 6
Amir Coffey 2 Steals Anthony Edwards 3
James Harden 2 Blocks Rudy Gobert 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
L.A. Clippers 89 37.6 10-34 15-17 17 40 5 7 9
Minnesota 88 38.8 9-33 17-18 24 54 7 4 15
Upcoming Games
  • Minnesota will play their next game at home against Portland. The Timberwolves have a W/L % of .628 after a win and .833 after a loss.
  • L.A. Clippers will play their next game on the road against Milwaukee. The Clippers have a W/L % of .658 after a win and .667 after a loss.