March 7, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) hits a 3-pointer while Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) defends during the third quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Image The new-look Los Angeles Clippers are starting to look like a version put together before the trade deadline and will test their current form against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in Inglewood, California.
The Clippers have won five of their last six games, and while they still can’t match the 16-3 resurgence that began on Dec. 20, they’ve proven the notion that trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac didn’t derail their playoff hopes.
The Clippers sit in eighth place in the Western Conference, while the Timberwolves fell from third to fifth on Tuesday after losing 120-106 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Clippers’ five-game home stretch began with a 126-118 win over the New York Knicks on Monday. Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points and newcomer Benedict Maturin added 28 as the Clippers reached .500 for the first time since the second week of the season.
“I’m going to continue to help these guys get better,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “And you know, starting out 6-21 and getting to .500 right now is a big deal for us.”
Leonard scored a career-high 27.9 points through his first 50 games, and has been even better since Dec. 20, scoring 29.5 points per game. His scoring ability has made the transition easy for Mathurin, who has 19.2 points in 12 games since arriving in Los Angeles.
Darius Garland from the Cleveland Cavaliers is averaging 17.0 points and 5.8 assists in four games for the Clippers.
“He’s a great point guard,” Leonard said of Garland. “He can shoot the ball and he’s very good at handling and finishing at the rim.” “I know the type of player he comes in. He’s proving himself and he’s only going to get better.”
The Timberwolves dropped their two-game losing streak Tuesday after a rough night for Anthony Edwards, who scored 14 of 15 points against the Lakers. This is 1 out of 10 from 3-point range.
Edwards’ performance came after Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo both went 0-of-15 shooting from the floor in Saturday’s 119-92 home loss to the Orlando Magic. After 5 consecutive wins, the losing streak continued.
Minnesota and the Lakers were tied at 45 at halftime, but the Timberwolves trailed by 19 before halftime. The Lakers led by as many as 23 points in the 4th inning, when Edwards only played 2 minutes.
The Timberwolves are currently in fifth place, but only half a game behind the third-place Houston Rockets.
Minnesota coach Chris Finch said of the upcoming matchup, “It’s an important game just for the West Division rankings.” “Regardless of who we play, we have a really tough schedule with a lot of games coming up.”
The Timberwolves lost all three games against the Lakers this season, but lost 1-1 against the Clippers. Minnesota won 94-88 against the Clippers on February 26, with Edwards scoring 31 points.
–Field level media
