LA Clippers hope for health and focus against Timberwolves

The LA Clippers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a Saturday matinee game, hoping to get back on track after a tumultuous loss against the Kings on Thursday.

The LA Clippers game on Saturday will be fraught with tons of question marks for both sides. With a less than ideal tip-off time, 12:30 pm PST, LA will have to dig deep to find the energy needed to compete. The last early tip the Clippers hosted was against the New York Knicks- a win, but one that didn’t come easy and left the crowd at Staples Center feeling uneasy.

Playing down to the competition has become somewhat of a habit this season for the Clippers, so handling the Timberwolves who are currently 15-32 on the season and sit just one spot above the Warriors as the worst team in the conference is not a guarantee.

Perhaps the biggest question heading into Saturday’s game is whether or not Kawhi Leonard will be active. The recently-named All-Star was a very late scratch in Thursday’s game, with reports that during his pregame warmup his lower back tightened up. The team is 5-7 without Kawhi. The team listed him as questionable late Friday night.

Doc Rivers had announced after the game on Thursday that Patrick Beverley, Paul George, and Landry Shamet all played under a minutes restriction. After a day of practice and some rest, it is to be expected that those restrictions either be lifted or on a lightened limitation.

A big focus on the Clippers’ defense will be on Karl-Anthony Towns. While the Timberwolves are 23-34 overall while playing the Clippers in LA, Towns dropped 39 points on the Clips in their first matchup of the season. Andrew Wiggins, a polarizing player for many, had a season-high in points against LA when last faced off in December.

In the first contest between these two teams, Paul George had himself a huge performance with 46 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and two steals. With an All-Star break right around the corner, and the playoffs quickly approaching after that, the Clippers will likely look to run a lot of offense through PG to get him back into rhythm and shake off the rust from his recent time off.

Just a week away from the NBA trade deadline one of the biggest names being floated around as a potential target for the Clippers is Minnesota’s forward Robert Covington. Other players in trade rumors this year have had impressive showings against the Clippers- cc: Marcus Morris and Jae Crowder. Robert Covington’s career-high in points is 31 and came in a meeting with the Clippers in 2017. If Leonard is not active for the game, containing Covington can be a tall order for the Clippers’ wings.

Emotion and focus, not talent, will likely be the deciding factor in this game. While the players in LA expressed they are still coping with the passing of Kobe Bryant, and it appeared to be evident in the game against the Kings, they seemed frustrated with their play in that loss. The Wolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns recently expressed frustrations, as well, as the All-NBA center has not won a game since Thanksgiving.

LA, with hopes of being fully healthy, has a chance of making a statement-win, as well as regaining the 2-seed in the Western Conference.