March 11, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) controls the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) during the first half at the Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Image Kawhi Leonard scored 45 points and Benedict Maturin added 22 points. The Los Angeles Clippers continued their hot streak with a 153-128 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Inglewood, California last March.
Darius Garland had 16 points and Jordan Miller had 14 as the Clippers improved to 6-1 and qualified for this month’s play-in tournament. Los Angeles (33-32) became the first team in NBA history to go above .500 after being behind 15 games or fewer in the same season.
It was Leonard’s fifth game this season with at least 40 points and his second against the Timberwolves.
The Clippers posted their highest scoring performance of the season and are 15-5 at home since Dec. 20, when they lost 94-88 at home to the Timberwolves on Feb. 26.
Anthony Edwards scored 36 points and Naz Reed added 18 points as Minnesota fell to its third straight loss. Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Jaylen Clark each had 11 points for the Timberwolves, who have fallen from third to fifth in the Western Conference during the current decline.
While the Clippers shot 63.4% from the floor, the Timberwolves finished at 59.7%.
Minnesota got off to a rough start with five turnovers in its first six possessions and ended with 21 turnovers. The Clippers led by 16 points after eight minutes and were ahead 38-27 at the end of the first quarter.
The Timberwolves battled back in the second quarter and got within three points several times before the Clippers took a 74-65 lead at halftime. Minnesota fell behind at the break despite shooting 68.6% from the floor.
The Timberwolves had 15 turnovers by halftime and the Clippers had scored 21 points.
Los Angeles led 109-98 after three quarters after making 63.6% (7 out of 11) of 3-pointers during the period. The Clippers won the game after taking a 126-102 lead with four 3-pointers in the opening 3:16 of the fourth quarter.
Leonard has scored at least 20 points in 43 consecutive games. It belongs to the Clippers’ franchise record set by Bob McAdoo in 1974-75 when the team played in Buffalo.
–Field level media
