The Minnesota Timberwolves will travel to the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Clippers. Action begins at 10:30 pm ET on Monday, March 9 and can be seen on FSN-N and FSN-PT.
The Clippers are are hoping for a better outcome after their 98-93 loss to the Trail Blazers in their last matchup. Despite the loss, Chris Paul earned his 31st double-double this season with 36 points and 12 assists. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are coming off a 121-113 win against that same Trail Blazers squad in their last game. Gary Neal played well for Minnesota, accounting for 27 points, four rebounds, and one assist.
Over the last five games, Paul has taken his game to another level for the Clippers, averaging 26.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 13.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.4 three-pointers. Ricky Rubio has been hot for the Timberwolves. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 11.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 three-pointers.
The Clippers could have their way today, as their prolific offense faces off against one of the league’s worst defenses. They currently rank first in the NBA in offensive efficiency while Minnesota ranks 30th in defensive efficiency. Also, the offense of the Timberwolves seems ready to earn plenty of trips to the line. They rank fourth in the NBA in free throw attempt rate (30.6), while the Clippers are among the league’s most foul-happy teams (allowing a 28th-ranked mark of 31.5).
The Clippers have emerged victorious in both games against the Timberwolves this year, including a 110-105 win the last time these two teams met. Paul finished with 26 points and 14 assists.
The odds for Los Angeles and Minnesota are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Clippers have gone 40-22 Straight Up (SU) and 26-36 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 26-11 SU and 16-21 ATS against the Western Conference. The Clippers have no trouble scoring as they rank second in the league in offense with 106.4 points per game. The Clippers are one of the best in the NBA in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .368 from beyond the arc. Los Angeles is one of the best passing teams in the league with an average of 24.3 assists per game.
Over on the other bench, the Timberwolves have a record of 27-32-2 ATS and 14-47 SU. Despite having a losing record against the Western Conference, Minnesota is successful ATS in those games with a record of 9-5-1. The Timberwolves get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking fourth in the league with 1,199 made (19.7 per game).
The Clippers’ win over Minnesota in their last game bumped their SU record to 10-0 over the Timberwolves in the last 10 meetings. With a 6-4 record, the Clippers also have the advantage ATS. Los Angeles held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times in the last 10 matchups. On the other side of the court, Minnesota never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAC, ATS Winner – LAC
Notes
Minnesota ranks 21st in points per game with 98.0, while Los Angeles ranks 19th in points allowed with an average of 100.3 given up.
Los Angeles ranks 17th in points allowed per home game (98.5 PPG), while Minnesota ranks 14th in points per away game with 98.9.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an even 7-7 when they keep their opponents to fewer than 100 points. The Los Angeles Clippers have a losing record of 5-11 this season when they score less than 100.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Timberwolves are just 7-40 this season. Los Angeles is a superb 35-11 when registering triple digits.
The Timberwolves have an offensive rating of 100.0 (ranked 25th), while the Clippers rank 16th for their defensive rating of 103.0.
Los Angeles has an average field goal percentage of 47.0% (ranked second). Minnesota is an abysmal 6-34 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank higher for their field goal percentage (24th) than their effective field goal percentage (28th), while the Los Angeles Clippers rank the same for both metrics (second).
Los Angeles ranks at the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.12 this season. Minnesota ranks 20th with an A/TO of 1.55.
The Clippers rank 21st in rebounds per game with 42.4, while the Timberwolves rank 24th with 41.9 per game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are among the best offensive rebounding teams in the league (ranked fourth). The Los Angeles Clippers are in the top half of NBA teams in defensive rebounding (ranked 10th).
Minnesota is one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.2% (ranked eighth). Los Angeles is an even 3-3 SU when it has a TOV% of 15.2% or greater.
