Timberwolves vs. Clippers Preview
On Sunday, the Minnesota Timberwolves are set to face off against the Los Angeles Clippers in a Western Conference showdown at 3 p.m. EST in Minneapolis. Currently, Minnesota stands in sixth place with a record of 32-21, while Los Angeles sits ninth at 24-27.
Team Performance
The Timberwolves have demonstrated strong performance in conference play, holding an 18-16 record while maintaining an average of 119.5 points per game, winning by an average margin of 4.7 points over their opponents. In contrast, the Clippers have recorded a 14-15 record in similar matchups, notably struggling in close contests with a 3-6 record in games decided by three points or fewer.
When it comes to shooting accuracy, the Timberwolves outpace the Clippers with a field goal percentage of 48.1%. This figure exceeds the 46.6% defensive average that Los Angeles has allowed to their opponents this season. The Clippers’ offensive output averages at 112.3 points per game, which is 2.5 points below the defensive average of 114.8 points allowed by Minnesota.
Previous Encounter
This meeting marks the second face-off of the season between these two teams, following their previous encounter on December 7, where the Timberwolves triumphed with a close 109-106 win, featuring 27 points from Jaden McDaniels and 20 points from the Clippers’ star, Kawhi Leonard.
Standout Players
Among the standout players, Julius Randle leads the Timberwolves with averages of 22.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards has been on a scoring streak, averaging 27.3 points over his last ten games. For the Clippers, Kris Dunn contributes 7.8 points per game and 2.9 rebounds, while Leonard is also performing well, averaging 20.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in the same time span.
Recent Performance
In their respective last ten games, the Timberwolves have evened out with a record of 5-5, producing an average of 117.3 points and functioning well across stats like rebounds and assists. In contrast, the Clippers have fared better at 6-4, scoring 111.7 points while showing impressive shooting accuracy of 49.8%.
Injury Updates
In the realm of injuries, the Timberwolves are closely monitoring the statuses of Julian Phillips (day-to-day, wrist), Terrence Shannon Jr. (day-to-day, foot), and Ayo Dosunmu (day-to-day, quadriceps). The Clippers have several players listed as day-to-day including Bennedict Mathurin (not injury-related), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (illness), Darius Garland (toe), Isaiah Jackson (not injury-related), while Bradley Beal is ruled out for the season due to a hip injury.
