Tobias Harris and Danilo Gallinari scored 22 points each and Lou Williams added 20 off the bench as the Los Angeles Clippers held off a late run from the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves to earn a 120-109 victory on Monday night.
Harris shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range as the Clippers were 14 of 31 (45.2 percent) from behind the arc as a team. Seven Los Angeles players made 3-point shots as the Clippers improved to 4-1 at home.
Derrick Rose scored 21 points for Minnesota in his second start of the season. In his first start last week against the Utah Jazz, the former MVP had a career-high 50 points. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 points for the Timberwolves, but just seven after the first quarter. However, he grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler also had 20 points, 16 of which came in the fourth quarter. Butler, who has been a trade target, did not play Sunday night at Portland because of "precautionary rest."
The result ended the Clippers' six-game losing streak against the Timberwolves, which had been their longest current losing streak against a single opponent.
Harris has scored at least 15 points in all 10 games this season. It is his longest run of 15 points or more to open a season in his eight-year career.
The Timberwolves held a 33-31 lead after one quarter, helped by a 14-8 rebound advantage. Towns had seven of those first-quarter boards for Minnesota.
The Clippers leaned on their long-range attack in the second quarter, making five 3-pointers and grabbed a 63-59 lead at halftime. The Clippers were 9 of 18 from 3-point range before the break.
Butler was just 1 of 6 from the field with four points through three quarters before asserting himself in the fourth. Nine of Butler's 16 fourth-quarter points came in the opening 1:53 of the period.
Minnesota went on a 9-2 run to open the fourth quarter and cut the Clippers' lead to 94-93, but Los Angeles scored 13 of the next 18 points to take a 107-98 lead, then finished off the Timberwolves from there.
Harris added 10 rebounds for the Clippers, while Montrezl Harrell scored 13 and Boban Marjanovic and Patrick Beverley added 10 apiece.
Taj Gibson had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Timberwolves, while Andrew Wiggins had 13 points.
Butler and Rose, former teammates with the Chicago Bulls, started together for the first time this season as Minnesota used its seventh different starting lineup in 11 games.
--Field Level Media
Minnesota | L.A. Clippers | |
Derrick Rose 21 | Scoring | Danilo Gallinari 22 |
Jimmy Butler 5 | Assists | Lou Williams 6 |
Karl-Anthony Towns 12 | Rebounds | Tobias Harris 10 |
Jimmy Butler 8 | Free Throws Made | Danilo Gallinari 6 |
Karl-Anthony Towns 3 | Steals | Montrezl Harrell 3 |
Karl-Anthony Towns 4 | Blocks | Boban Marjanovic 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Minnesota | 109 | 47.1 | 5-21 | 24-30 | 20 | 38 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
L.A. Clippers | 120 | 48.9 | 14-31 | 20-22 | 30 | 43 | 4 | 5 | 12 |