Jonah BallowWolves Editor/Writer
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Wolves @ Clippers 9:30 PM - Staples Center
WHERE TO LISTEN: KFAN 1130
Scouting Report:
Big Picture:
After the Clippers defeated the Wolves to start the month of November, they have experienced several momentum shifts with a 4-5 record. Los Angeles recorded victories over Golden State, Memphis, Oklahoma City, and most impressively, Denver on Friday night. The Clippers survived a furious start from the Nuggets in the first quarter and then compiled 68 points over the next two periods. Denver could not match the offensive onslaught while Los Angeles improved to 5-9 on the season. Head coach Mike Dunleavy is shifting the starting lineup as he deals with a couple of injuries to key players. Eric Gordon was forced to the sidelines after injuring his left groin in the victory past Memphis on November 7. No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin continues to nurse a stress fracture in his left kneecap that will keep him out of the lineup for another month.
The first meeting between the two teams was a close-fought battle that resulted in a 93-90 win for the Clippers. Behind Chris Kaman’s 25 points, Los Angeles notched its first victory of the season and handed the Wolves their third defeat of the year.
Backcourt:
The Los Angeles backcourt features a different dynamic with Ricky Davis at the shooting guard spot next to Baron Davis. Ricky Davis only played 11 minutes in the contest against Denver and Rasual Butler posted a season-high 27 points to lead the Clippers. Baron Davis forced an up-temp pace, finding Butler plotting around the arc, where he drilled four 3-pointers. The Wolves guards will have to be aware of the newfound confidence from Butler as he attempts to duplicate the impressive performance. Jonny Flynn held Baron Davis to just 13 points in the first meeting but the veteran point guard reached the free throw line nine times. In tonight’s matchup, Flynn can’t let Davis penetrate through the lane because he will effectively find open teammates for easy scoring opportunities. Defensively, Corey Brewer displayed a terrific ability to jump the passing lanes and finished with five steals in the loss. Brewer uncharacteristically attempted 21 shots, only connecting on six in 37 minutes of court time.
Frontcourt:
Kaman is an underrated center with tremendous back-to-the-basket skills. Los Angeles focused on feeding Kaman in the paint against Minnesota, which led to a 10-for-15 performance. The Clippers leading scorer will again try to dominate the post in the half court offensive set. Unfortunately, the Wolves frontcourt faces a Los Angeles team loaded with 7-footers – Kaman, Marcus Camby, and DeAndre Jordan off the bench. The Clippers size and length helped the team capture a 48-40 rebounding advantage in the first meeting. Minnesota will again look to Al Jefferson for a scoring punch inside the paint after he scored 24 against Los Angeles. Jefferson seems more comfortable on the offensive side of the floor when he returned from the two-game absence to attend his grandmother’s funeral.
What To Look For:
Head coach Kurt Rambis was pleased with his team following the loss to Portland on Saturday night. He felt the squad produced in stretches but did not correctly deal with adversity when the Blazers increased their intensity. In contrast to the first game against the Clippers, Rambis will most likely start Ryan Hollins instead of Oleksiy Pecherov to match Los Angeles’ lengthy frontcourt. For the second time this month, Craig Smith and Sebastian Telfair get a second crack at their former team. Smith scored nine points while Telfair dished our four assists off the bench for the Clippers.
A victory against Los Angeles is necessary due to the daunting schedule this week for the Wolves. Minnesota plays Phoenix the day after Thanksgiving and Denver twice to close out the month of November.
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