At 4:30 a.m. on March 4, the NBA regular season staged a key matchup, and the Clippers faced the Timberwolves on the road. The Clippers have been inconsistent lately, especially at the moment against a top-ranked opponent in the West, and it will be difficult to win. This match was particularly eye-catching, as Edwards has played an impressive season and no team dares to underestimate him. And the Clippers have attracted much attention thanks to Tyronn Lue's leadership, although it can also feel like it can't get enough at times.
The two sides showed a playoff-level fierce competition in the final moments of the game, with very tight defenses and very low shooting percentages for both teams.
In the first half, both sides played well in one quarter each. The Clippers trailed in the first quarter at 18-30, but fought back to take a three-point lead at 31-16 in the second quarter! There wasn't much suspense in the second half, the game wasn't very exciting, and it wasn't decided until the last moment! So what really happened at the last minute?
With nine minutes left in the game, the Clippers were still behind. Paul George received a pass from the baseline and hit a three-pointer with a step-back jumper to overtake the score to 74-73! Conley's three-pointer failed to return the favor, Karl Anthony Towns got the offensive rebound, then the big family Ritter Morris stood in the open space and completed a three-point shot, while James Harden hit again in the final period, scoring on 8 shots! Paul George managed to break through and scored 2 points on a layup to tie the score! Tyronn Leonard made a steal on Edwards and then drew a foul on him, making one of two free throws. In the end, with 4:43 left, Jeddah Rock Powell received a pass from Harden and hit a three-pointer to extend the margin to 4 points! The Timberwolves had no chance to turn the tables back in the final moments, losing 88-89.
The win marks the Clippers' first win over the Timberwolves this season, and it's really impressive! Leonard scored 32 points on 12-of-26 shooting in this game. Harden, on the other hand, couldn't make effective shots, missed a single shot in 10 attempts, missed six three-point attempts, and could only contribute four points from the free throw line, while also grabbing five rebounds and 10 assists. Jeddah Rock Powell exploded brilliantly, hitting 9 of 13 shots and 8 three-pointers as a substitute to score 24 points in the game! Paul George contributed 15 points. As for the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards was alone, scoring 27 points and five rebounds. Towns contributed 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
After the Timberwolves lost the game, the top spot in the West changed hands, falling to second place in the West.