Los Angeles Clippers vs Minnesota Timberwolves: Match Preview and Predictions - 13th December 2019
Match Details
Fixture: Los Angeles Clippers vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Date & Time: Friday, 13 December 2019 (9:30 PM ET)
Venue: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Last Game Results
Los Angeles Clippers (18-7): 112-92 win against the Toronto Raptors (11 December, Wednesday)
Minnesota Timberwolves (10-14): 116-127 loss against the Utah Jazz (11 December, Wednesday)
Los Angeles Clippers Preview
The Los Angeles Clippers will travel to Minnesota after a huge 20-point rout of the Toronto Raptors last Wednesday. Paul George and Montrezl Harrell combined for 51 points, and the team has now won 8 of its last 10 games.
The Clippers are in great position to extend their current three-game winning streak come Friday. Aside from having the best two-way players in the league in Kawhi Leonard and George, the Clippers also have pretty good depth.
Lou Williams has not lost his offensive prowess despite playing with his new teammates, Harrell continues to show why he is valuable to the team, and Moe Harkless is proving to be a great signing.
The Clippers are currently second in the Western Conference despite missing George in the first few games of the season and having to ease him and Kawhi (who's also missed games due to load management) into the current lineup. The Clippers are starting to peak and are looking to get more wins and stay on top of the conference.
Key Player - Kawhi Leonard
Leonard was all business last Wednesday as he scored an efficient 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting in Toronto. He will look to put up even bigger numbers on Friday as he's matched up against the sub-par defense of Andrew Wiggins.
Although Robert Covington might be assigned as Kawhi's primary defender, the Klaw could always call for a switch or just give the ball to George and the other shooters on his team. Or he could also just lose his defender with his smooth mid-range jumper and explosive attack to the rim.
Kawhi should have multiple options playing against the Wolves, who are currently just 19th on defense. He should also look to lock up Wiggins on the defensive end, leaving KAT to carry much of the offensive load.
Kawhi's 1-2 punch with George will be important as the Wolves' players look to find their shot. The Klaw should be a problem for the opposition on both ends of the floor.
Clippers Predicted Lineup
Patrick Beverly, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Moe Harkless, Ivica Zubac
Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
The Timberwolves are not looking good this season, and just lost their sixth straight game against a Conley-less Jazz team last Wednesday. They are currently 3-8 at home, and this game against the Clippers might just show how they don't exactly have great home-court advantage.
Jeff Teague, who came off the bench last game, scored 25 points against the Jazz, just two points shy of Wiggins' team-high 27 points. Karl-Anthony Towns, on the other hand, scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Despite the game ending in just an eight-point loss, the Wolves looked a bit frustrated and committed unwise fouls when they were down big in the fourth quarter.
Key Player - Karl-Anthony Towns
KAT would look to redeem himself in the next game after committing 5 turnovers against Utah. He will have to step up his game as his other teammates will most likely be locked up by the Clippers on Friday.
Towns should look to one-up Harrell and Zubac, as he's shown that he's one of the better Centers in the league right now.
It's also important that he's able to stop Harrell on the defensive end. That will at least lessen the bench contribution of the deep Clippers.
KAT should come into the game in an aggressive frame of mind as he has the advantage in the paint against a weaker Zubac, a less-experienced Harrell and a smaller Harkless.
Timberwolves Predicted Lineup
Jarrett Culver, Josh Okogie, Andrew Wiggins, Robert Covington, Karl Anthony-Towns
Clippers vs Timberwolves Match Prediction
The Wolves seem to be in a huge slump right now, while the Clippers are currently hot and looking for another rout. This game should be hugely in favor of the Clippers as their defensive tactics will severely hamper Minnesota's struggling offense.
Where to Watch Clippers vs Timberwolves?
You can catch the game on TNT and FOX Sports. It should also be on ESPN and can be streamed live via NBA League Pass.