Wolves hang on against Clippers in NBA Cup, snap four-game skid

Anthony Edwards hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with just over two minutes remaining.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels and Los Angeles Clippers guard Amir Coffey (7) compete for the ball during the first quarter of an NBA Cup game at Target Center in Minneapolis on Nov. 29, 2024. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been searching to find their defensive identity. It finally came out of hiding Friday night in a 93-92 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA Cup group-play game at Target Center in Minneapolis.

The victory snapped a four-game skid.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker made a great defensive play to force a turnover out of Kevin Porter Jr. Mike Conley stole it from Kris Dunn after he grabbed a rebound that gave the Clippers a chance to take the lead with just 26 seconds remaining.

Ultimately, the ending was pretty anticlimactic. After the steal, Conley missed a 3-pointer. Anthony Edwards grabbed the offensive rebound, but his tip-in didn't fall. Rudy Gobert grabbed that miss, and the time just ran out on Los Angeles.

Surprisingly, the Clippers (12-9) never fouled on that final possession.

"After we got the rebound, I definitely thought they was gonna foul," Edwards said. "But thank you."

Edwards hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2 minutes, 24 seconds remaining and made 1 of 2 from the free-throw line after drawing a foul on the ensuing possession to put the Wolves (9-10) up 93-90 with 1:45 left on the clock.

Alexander-Walker forced Porter into the turnover the next possession, but Minnesota turned it right back over.

Ivica Zubac's tip-in made it 93-92.

Then came a missed 3 from Alexander-Walker, Dunn's rebound, Conley's steal and the clock ran out.

"We needed a win any way we can get it," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. "It wasn't pretty, but we stepped up defensively pretty much all night. That's what we got to be, particularly until we can solve some things on offense."

Rudy Gobert, who played nearly 43 minutes, grabbed 12 boards, had a block and a steal and finished with a plus-9. Conley played 33 minutes and had 13 points and a pair of steals. Jaden McDaniels had 11 points, five assists and a two blocks.

Edwards finished with a game-high 21 points, four rebounds and three assists, but it wasn't overall a pretty night offensively from the Wolves. They turned it over 21 times, though their defense held the Clippers to just 23 points off those giveaways. All eight players who saw the court turned it over, and all but Naz Reid had at least a pair of turnovers.

There were some offensive flashes, most notably during the third quarter after Edwards picked up a technical after arguing a no-call. "That was definitely a foul," Edwards said. He wasn't wrong, but nevertheless, James Harden missed the technical free throw, and Edwards immediately responded with a 3-pointer. A couple possessions later, Donte DiVincenzo found a cutting Reid for a layup and a 72-61 lead, Minnesota's largest of the night. The sold-out crowd was fired up.

But there were still the offensive struggles. The Wolves turned it over three straight times to open the second half, and the Clippers whittled their six-point halftime deficit down to two. Minnesota still entered the fourth quarter up 72-68.

And despite the offensive struggles, the defense came through for the Wolves, starting with Reid blocking Terrence Mann on back-to-back possessions early in the fourth quarter, the first being a monster chase-down block in transition.

"That was a game-turning block," Finch said. "The game had turned against us, and he turned it back by getting those plays, particularly that chase-down in transition was huge."