Tobias Harris scored 22 points and Lou Williams added 20 points off the bench to give the Los Angeles Clippers a 120-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night at Staples Center.
“We had a hot guy in [Tobias] and we didn’t even bring him back in until five minutes left in the fourth quarter,” said Clippers Coach Doc Rivers.
“It just says a lot about this team. This team just likes to play together and they understand if one guy or a group has it going, then they’re fine with waiting and that’s what we’re doing.”
Danilo Gallinari added 22 points for the Clippers, while Montrezl Harrell chipped in with 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
“We have different guys that can make plays on any given night,” said Harris on his teammates.
“I think that is the beauty of our team is the depth of it and the different personnel we can put out there.”
In the loss, the Timberwolves fell to 0-6 on the road this season and still have many questions to answer between Jimmy Butler and a young star driven roster with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
“We just gotta get some stops in the end,” said Butler who finished with 20 points, five assists and four rebounds.”
“We can’t give them two or three cracks at it whenever they shoot the ball.”
Towns finished with a solid double-double adding 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Derrick Rose continued his impressive play with 21 points and four assists.
Wiggins struggled from the field, making only 4 of 16 shots for 13 total points on the night.
“I’ve felt this way for a while now,” added Rose on his individual success this season.
“It was just a lack of opportunity and I just got a coach who believes in me.”
Although Minnesota’s key players played decently, the Timberwolves as a whole were held to 23.8 percent shooting from three-point distance, largely due to Los Angeles’ defensive intensity.
“That’s what we’re trying to do, if we can guard the three-point line, we can take away transition,” added Rivers.
Already up 92-84 after three quarters of play, Los Angeles made 10 of 22 baskets from the field, and got 24 points in the fourth quarter between Gallinari, Harrell and Williams.
The Timberwolves ultimately committed five turnovers and only assisted on two baskets in the final 12 minutes of play, resulting in a 120-109 win for the Clippers.
Up next, Los Angeles visits Portland on Thursday in a quick one-game trip with at 7:00 p.m. start time against the Trailblazers, only before returning home to Staples Center on Saturday November 10 to host the Milwaukee Bucks at 12:30 p.m.
