7 p.m., Target Center Where to Watch: Fox Sports NorthWhere to Listen: 830 WCCO
The Wolves will have their hands full against a healthy Clippers squad on Wednesday night at the Target Center.
The Wolves go into the game with a 25-37 record, 3.5 games back from the eighth seed in the West. The Clippers are 38-25, good for fifth in the West.
A few tidbits going into Wednesday night’s game:
- For those watching the Nuggets, the team in eighth in the West, Denver hosts Washington on Wednesday night.
- The Clippers are just 1.5 games back from the Jazz for homecourt advantage in the first-round of the playoffs.
- Both teams are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
Coming Off Of…
Minnesota is coming off of a 97-90 overtime loss to the Spurs on Saturday in San Antonio.
Towns led the Wolves with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins had 17 points and four rebounds, Gorgui Dieng had 13 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, Nemanja Bjelica had 12 points and three rebounds, Ricky Rubio had a triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and Brandon Rush added seven points and six rebounds.
The Clippers are coming off of a 116-102 home win over the Boston Celtics on Monday. Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 26 points and eight rebounds. Chris Paul added 23 points, while Jamal Crawford led the second unit with 19 points. DeAndre Jordan had a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Last Matchup
The Wolves are 1-1 against the Clippers this season. The last game came on Jan. 19 at the STAPLES Center. Minnesota won 104-101 behind 37 points, 12 rebounds and five assists from Towns. Wiggins added 27 points and Dieng finished with 13 points.
The Clippers were without both Paul and Griffin. Jordan led the Clippers with 29 points and 16 rebounds. Austin Rivers added 20. Raymond Felton, Luc Mbah a Moute and Brandon Bass finished with 10 points each.
Key Matchup: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Blake Griffin
Towns has scored 20 or more points in 17-straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA. During that stretch, Towns is averaging 28.2 points and 13.1 rebounds per game while shooting 58.5 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from the 3-point line and 82.9 percent from the free-throw line. He also ranks second in the NBA with 47 double-doubles. On the season, he’s averaging 24 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, all up from last season. In two games against the Clippers, Towns is averaging 30.5 points, 11 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
In his seventh season, Griffin is averaging 22.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
The Wolves will likely have both Towns and Dieng on Griffin, who can do a little bit of everything for the Clippers offensively.
Injuries
LA: No injuries to report.
Minnesota: LaVine (knee) and Nikola Pekovic (recurring right ankle pain) are out. Adreian Payne (illness) is questionable.
Projected Starters
LA: PG – Paul, SG – Redick, SF – Mbah a Moute, PF – Griffin, C - Jordan
Minnesota: PG – Rubio, SG – Rush, SF – Wiggins, PF – Dieng, C – Towns