Mitchell HansenWeb Editorial AssociateTwitter
9:30 p.m., Staples Center Where to Watch: TNT Where to Listen: 830 WCCO
After falling to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves look to end a two-game skid and get back on track at 9:30 p.m. Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Wolves come into the game at 14-28 overall and in 13th place in the Western Conference. The Clippers hold a record of 29-14 and sit in fourth place in the Western Conference.
A few tidbits entering Thursday night’s game:
- The Clippers will be without Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. Griffin is recovering from knee surgery while Paul will miss 6-8 weeks after tearing a ligament in his left thumb on Monday against Oklahoma City.
- Ricky Rubio has 70 assists (14 per game) in his last five games, which the most in Wolves history during that span. He also ranks second in the NBA behind Houston’s James Harden (71) for most assists in a five-game span this season.
- With his six rebounds against San Antonio, Gorgui Dieng recorded his 1,811thcareer rebound and passed Nikola Pekovic (1,807) for eighth all-time in Wolves history.
Coming Off Of…
Minnesota is coming off of a 122-114 loss to the Spurs on Tuesday in San Antonio.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 16 rebounds, Rubio had 21 points and 14 assists, Zach LaVine had 18 points and four rebounds, Dieng had 17 points and six rebounds, Shabazz Muhammad had 15 points and four rebounds and Andrew Wiggins had 10 points for the Wolves.
Los Angeles is coming off of a 120-98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday in Los Angeles.
Marreese Speights had 23 points and 10 rebounds, J.J. Redick had 20 points, DeAndre Jordan had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Austin Rivers had 16 points and six assists and Raymond Felton added 15 points and six assists for the Clippers.
Last Matchup
The last matchup between Minnesota and Los Angeles came on Nov. 12 in Minneapolis. The Clippers won 119-105.
In that game, Towns had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Wolves. Wiggins had 22 points and four rebounds, LaVine had 15 points and four assists, and Nemanja Bjelica, Cole Aldrich and Tyus Jones had eight points each.
For the Clippers, Griffin had 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, Paul had 19 points and eight rebounds, Jordan had 18 points and 16 rebounds, Redick had 18 points, and Luc Mbah a Moute had 15 points.
Thursday night’s game is the second of three games between the two teams this year. The third and final game comes on March 8 in Minneapolis.
Key Matchup: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. DeAndre Jordan
One matchup to watch Thursday night will be between Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Los Angeles’ DeAndre Jordan.
The last time two squared off, the advantage went to Towns, who finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan had 18 points and 16 rebounds in the game.
Towns, in his second NBA season, is averaging 22 points, 12 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 blocks per game.
Jordan, in his ninth season in the league, is averaging 12.3 points, 13.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.8 blocks per game this year.
Injuries
Los Angeles: Wesley Johnson (personal) is questionable. Brice Johnson (back), Griffin (knee) and Paul (thumb) are out.
Minnesota: Nikola Pekovic (ankle) is out)
Projected Starters
Los Angeles: PG – Felton, SG – Rivers, SF – Redick, PF – Mbah a Moute, C – Jordan
Minnesota: PG – Rubio, SG – LaVine, SF – Wiggins, PF – Dieng, C – Towns