9:30 p.m., STAPLES Center
Where to Watch: ESPN
Where to Listen: 830 WCCO
The Minnesota Timberwolves are hoping to snap a five-game losing streak on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. It also is the last of a four-game West Coast road trip. The Wolves are 14-36 overall, 13th in the West.
The Clippers are without Blake Griffin, but that hasn’t slowed them down. The Clippers have won four straight games, including a 27-point win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Los Angeles is 32-16, good for fourth in the West.
A few tidbits going into tonight’s game:
- Per 36 minutes, Ricky Rubio is averaging 10.5 assists per game, the highest of his career.
- Former No. 4 pick for the Wolves, Wesley Johnson is averaging 6.7 points per game with the Clippers this season.
- In his first game back from a D-League assignment, Adreian Payne finished with two points, one rebound and an assist in six minutes and 31 seconds against the Lakers.
Coming Off Of…
The Wolves are coming off of a 119-115 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Andrew Wiggins led the way with 30 points, shooting 13-for-20 from the field. Gorgui Dieng added 19 points, six rebounds and five assists. Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine finished with 14 points each. Shabazz Muhammad finished with 12 points off the bench. Rubio added 10 points and 15 assists.
The Clippers are coming off of a 120-93 home win on Sunday against the Bulls. Jamal Crawford led the Clippers with 26 points, shooting 11-for-15 off the bench. J.J. Redick finished with 21 points, 12 coming from the 3-point line. Chris Paul finished with 19 points. DeAndre Jordan had a monster game, finishing with 17 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks. Austin Rivers and Johnson finished with 16 and 11 points, respectively.
Last Matchup:
The Clippers are 2-0 against the Wolves this season. The last game came on Dec. 7 at the Target Center. Los Angeles won 110-106 behind 20 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and two steals from Jordan. Griffin added 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Crawford led the second unit with 18 points. Paul and Redick finished with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Johnson finished with 10 points off the bench.
LaVine led the team with 21 points off the bench. Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points, shooting 7-for-9 from the field. Rubio had a solid all-around game, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds and four steals. Dieng and Muhammad finished with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Key Matchup: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. DeAndre Jordan
Towns is fresh off of winning his third straight Rookie of the Month award. In the month of January, Towns average 16.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. On the season, Towns is averaging 16.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He’s shooting 54 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from the 3-point line.
In two games against the Clippers this season, Towns is averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
He’ll have his hands full against one of the best defensive centers in the league.
Jordan is averaging 11.9 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. He leads the league shooting 71.5 percent from the field, but almost all of his shots are in the restricted area.
In two games against the Wolves this season, Jordan’s averaging 14.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.
Injuries:
Los Angeles: Griffin (hand) is out.
Minnesota: Kevin Garnett (knee), Kevin Martin (wrist) and Nikola Pekovic (foot) are out.
Projected Starters:
Los Angeles: PG- Paul, SG – Redick, SF – Pierce, PF – Mbah a Moute, C - Jordan
Minnesota: PG- Rubio, SG- Wiggins, SF- Prince, PF- Towns, C - Dieng