Timberwolves at Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers will try to maintain their momentum after a highly successful road trip when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. The Clippers won six out of seven on the second-longest road trip of the season—mileage-wise—in the NBA this season. They’ll face a vulnerable opponent in the injury-riddled Timberwolves, who haven’t strung together two wins all season.
Blake Griffin has punished Minnesota in his career, averaging 24.1 points and 9.7 rebounds in 15 games. He’s coming off his most efficient game of the season in Saturday’s win against the Utah Jazz, scoring 28 points on 13-for-18 from the floor and making his only 3-point try. The Timberwolves have little to counter Griffin's strength now that Kevin Love has moved on to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Nikola Pekovic is sidelined with an ankle injury, so expect another high-bar performance.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSW2 (Los Angeles), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (4-11): Andrew Wiggins was a game-time decision Sunday against the Trail Blazers because of flu-like symptoms but played through the discomfort and logged seven points and a rebound in 18 minutes. At least Wiggins had an excuse for his average play. Nothing seemed amiss with fellow rookie Zach LaVine, yet two days after scoring 28 points against the Lakers he managed to go scoreless in 11 minutes against Portland.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (11-5): Anyone who has watched Jamal Crawford long enough knows he’s as streaky a shooter as they come in the NBA. He’s definitely on one of his hot streaks lately, scoring at least 20 points in the last four games and shooting 31-for-58 in the process. Crawford is a 41.2-percent shooter in his 15-year career, so it’s rare when he makes half his shots for this long a stretch.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Timberwolves backup G Shabazz Muhammad scored 20 of his career-high 28 points in the paint Sunday night, joining 11 other Minnesota players who have accomplished that feat in the last 20 years.
2. Minnesota G Mo Williams has back-to-back games with at least 20 points and 10 assists for the first time in four years.
3. The Clippers had never won at least six games on a seven-game road trip until last week.