Game 39 Clippers at Wolves 1/14/24 27-11

[minimus]

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https://www.espn.com/nba/team/injuries/_/name/min/minnesota-timberwolves
https://www.espn.com/nba/team/injuries/_/name/lac/la-clippers

Against fully healthy LAC team we need to play both with discipline and effort. Dont overhelp, avoid stupid fouls and turnovers. Should be a tough game for us and big test.

[Calinks]

Another big game. We lose Clippers are just one game back of the top seed. We win, we make a statement against the hottest team in the west and we get a little more separation plus tiebreaker help.

[_AIJ_]

Matchup nightmare. Who defends who tonight?

[winforlose]

Matchup nightmare. Who defends who tonight?

Rudy on Zu. Karl on Mann and helps the other 3. Conley on Harden with help from Karl. Jaden on KL and Ant on PG. Make Mann beat you.

[Calinks]

I think OKC actually becomes the top seed if we lose tonight too.

[younggunsmn]

Our big are going to be the difference, KAT and Rudy have to play well and stay out of foul trouble.
Keep Zubac off the boards and their big 3 out of the paint.
If we can make them jump shooters and take away the free throws and easy baskets, I think we have a chance.

Jaden has to stay out of foul trouble too. one good half in the last 4 games, he needs to start stepping up and playing smarter and more under control.

With a small on KAT and Harden having to defend someone, we will have match-ups to exploit.
But I expect them to double team KAT and pack the paint and try to make Ant shoot jump shots.

LA hasn't played a real tough schedule.
They've split with the pels and nuggets, spanked the suns twice, and got their doors blown off by the celtics and thunder.
They've been super efficient and put up a ton of points offensively though.

How we defend and rebound should be the difference maker.

[Domejandro]

One concern might be Mike Conley’s ability to matchup defensively, with the big guards and forwards that the Clippers deploy.

[winforlose]

Our big are going to be the difference, KAT and Rudy have to play well and stay out of foul trouble.
Keep Zubac off the boards and their big 3 out of the paint.
If we can make them jump shooters and take away the free throws and easy baskets, I think we have a chance.

Jaden has to stay out of foul trouble too. one good half in the last 4 games, he needs to start stepping up and playing smarter and more under control.

With a small on KAT and Harden having to defend someone, we will have match-ups to exploit.
But I expect them to double team KAT and pack the paint and try to make Ant shoot jump shots.

LA hasn't played a real tough schedule.
They've split with the pels and nuggets, spanked the suns twice, and got their doors blown off by the celtics and thunder.
They've been super efficient and put up a ton of points offensively though.

How we defend and rebound should be the difference maker.

My take:

1. Limit turnovers, Especially live ball turnovers. Make the Clippers score on our set half court defense instead of in transition.

2. Make the non shooters beat us. Mann, Zu, Westbrook, ect… Liberal double teams and smart switching to get the ball out of the hands of Harden, George, and Leonard.

3. Bench needs to show up. We need NAW, Naz, Kyle, and JMAC to play like they are auditioning for playoff minutes, because this is as close to a playoff game as we get in the regular season.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

Play off game. Exciting test tonight.

[minimus]

Two dumb turnovers to start the game

[Domejandro]

Anthony Edwards passing out of that possession to Towns is EXACTLY what I've been asking for, this season.

[Calinks]

Everybody packs the paint against us so crazily every game now. That is definitely the scout. I really hope we can add more shooting cause more spacing would shred that kind of defense.

[minimus]

Anthony Edwards passing out of that possession to Towns is EXACTLY what I've been asking for, this season.

Yeah, and Towns taking open threes w/o hesitating is also a big thing

[Calinks]

Offense looks so much better when Towns is taking threes early and often.

[Domejandro]

Rudy Gobert's perimeter defense has been unreal, this game.

[Murphs56]

When everything is humming, this is exactly the team we are.

[minimus]

4 turnovers so far, all of them were unnecessary

[Domejandro]

Naz Reid needs to improve on biting on pumpfakes. While that was a paint foul, has a tendency to do that on the perimeter, which leads to defensive breakdowns.

[Murphs56]

Great first quarter, need to limit the turnovers. Playing against an old team like this, if we can keep the pressure on, we can really take them out of it.

[life_saver]

KAT needs to cut down some of these drives man...so frustrating. They are so inefficient, often ends up in turnover or offensive fouls