Scouting Report: Wolves at Clippers

The Timberwolves were well-represented over All-Star Weekend in Orlando as forward Kevin Love and rookies Derrick Williams and Ricky Rubio all participated in the festivities. Now it’s back to work, and the Wolves begin a rigorous stretch of four straight games on the West Coast and 13 of their next 18 games away from Target Center.
It starts in Los Angeles, where Minnesota will face the Clippers tonight at Staples Center. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m.
The Clippers are coming off a 103-95 home win against Denver, which snapped a two-game losing streak. They are 3-3 in their last six games. The Wolves enter tonight having climbed back to .500 at the All-Star Break by winning four of its last five games. Most recently Minnesota beat Utah with a buzzer-beater by guard Luke Ridnour on Wednesday at Target Center, when Ridnour’s floater at the buzzer capped off a rally from 16 points down in the fourth to beat the Jazz 100-98. Last meeting
The last time the Clippers and Wolves met was a memorable one for Minnesota. Love’s 3-pointer as time expired handed the Timberwolves a 101-98 victory over the Clippers at Staples Center on Jan. 20. Ricky Rubio hit a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to tie the game at 98-98. The game was methodical and almost exclusively played in a half-court offensive set—the teams combined for 16 total fast break points in the game, while Minnesota held a 46-24 points in the paint advantage. The victory ended a four-game losing streak at Staples Center. It was a rare feat to beat L.A. at home, where the Clippers are 12-4 this season. Key matchup: Griffin vs. Love