Minnesota Timberwolves against Los Angeles Clippers
Date: January 6, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Location: Target center
TV coverage: FanDuel Sports Network North
Radio reporting: KFAN FM/Wolves App/iHeart Radio

The Wolves want to avert the Detroit disaster against the Clippers at Target Center

If you’re still trying to recover from Saturday’s debacle against the Detroit Pistons, take a moment to breathe. The Minnesota Timberwolves need more than just a deep breath to recover from one of their most frustrating defensive efforts of the season. Next up? The recently returned Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. A team the Wolves have already beaten twice this year. But here’s the catch: after three straight losses and a wasted epic performance from Anthony Edwards, this one feels crucial. For example: “Do we believe in this team or not?” is crucial.

Detroit Déjà Vu: A New Low

Let’s rip the band-aid off quickly: Saturday’s game was embarrassing. The Wolves were roasted in depth, diced up from beyond the arc and turned into defensive statues while Detroit –Detroit!– Layup drills performed. And these weren’t the Pistons of the mid-2000s, when Ben Wallace was throwing elbows and Rip Hamilton was firing daggers in the midrange. This is the Pistons team that is under .500 for the second night in a row and still turned Minnesota into the Washington Generals for a night.

Anthony Edwards provided one ridiculous 53 points. Fifty-three! And somehow it felt irrelevant because the rest of the team might as well have stayed on the bus. Rudy Gobert? Invisible. Julius Randle? Separated. The wings? Late for every graduation, like they were caught in a Minnesota snowstorm.

It was the kind of loss that makes you question everything. The kind of loss that brings back memories of those nights in the early 2010s when Ricky Rubio’s only help was Nikola Peković and a prayer. But here’s the thing: The Wolves have the talent to be so much better. And the Clippers game is an opportunity to prove it.

Clippers at Target Center: A must-win matchup

The Clippers come to town with their own track record of up-and-down play. They’re not exactly setting the world on fire. However, the Clippers are dangerous – they have the potential for offensive explosion, and if you don’t bring the defensive intensity, they will bury you. The Wolves have already taken two games from the Clippers this season. But as we’ve seen time and time again, this team doesn’t handle success well. They become complacent. So what do they need to do to turn things around after the Detroit disaster?

Key to the game

1. Defense, defense, defense

Defense should be the identity of this team. Where was that on Saturday? The Wolves allowed Detroit to go uncontested. Gobert needs to step forward and assert his presence deep – no more free rebounds, no more easy layups. He’s being paid to anchor this defense and it’s time to make sure that happens consistently.

The Clippers can score quickly, and if Minnesota doesn’t focus on shutting down shooters, it’s going to be another long night. The wings – Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and even Ant – must bring the intensity, hold on to the rim and deny LA’s shooters room to maneuver.

2. Distribute the attack load

Anthony Edwards can’t drop another 50 pieces just to watch the Wolves lose. It’s criminal. Julius Randle needs to step up and get his faceoff ball back to the paint. Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert and the Bank Mafia all need to do their part. Wolves are at their best when the ball is moving and everyone is involved – when it’s not a matter of “giving Ant the ball and hoping for the best”.

The Clippers’ defense is beatable, especially if the Wolves can pick up the tempo and create mismatches in transition. But when the offense turns into an isolated hero ball, things get ugly again.

3. Check the glass

Detroit dominated Minnesota on the boards, and that can’t happen again. The Clippers don’t have a dominant rebounder, but they are fierce. Gobert and Randle must bring down the glass with authority, and everyone else must unpack. Second chance points have been deadly for the Wolves all season and they need to start limiting them.

4. Energy and effort

That sounds obvious, but it wasn’t a given for this team. The Wolves need to play with urgency from the first tip and not wait until they are down double digits to wake up. In a tight Western Conference, every possession counts, and Minnesota can’t afford to take any more nights off.

The bigger picture

The Wolves are incredibly inconsistent. They’ll play three great quarters against Oklahoma City and Boston and then lay an egg in Detroit. But here’s the frustrating part: They’re still just five games away from the second seed in the West. This is both a reason for hope and a reminder of how much this team has underperformed.

It’s not just about beating the Clippers tomorrow night – it’s about building momentum. The Wolves have enough talent to make a run and climb the table. You just need to stop beating yourself up.

Prediction: Wolves 104, Clippers 98

This feels like a rebound game. The Wolves are at home, they’ve beaten the Clippers twice and they’ll (hopefully) be motivated to wash the taste of Detroit out of their mouths. Edwards will do his thing, but the key will be getting contributions from Randle, Gobert and the rest of the supporting cast. If the Wolves can maximize their energy and play potential, they will send the Target Center crowd home happy.