| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
 GAME FLOW
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Rookie Lamar Odom played like a veteran down the stretch Wednesday night.
|  | | Michael Olowokandi, right, is a Clipper, but who will his teammates be next year? |
Odom scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Clippers rallied for an 89-85 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Odom, who played all 48 minutes, clinched the win by sinking a
running hook shot over Kevin Garnett with 16 seconds left. The shot, released just as the shot clock was about to expire, capped a
23-8 run that helped the Clippers snap a four-game losing streak.
"I was about to pull a 3-pointer, but I knew if I missed they could tie the game," Odom said. "Garnett has so much athletic ability, I just tried to float it over him."
Los Angeles, which trailed by as many as 11 points in the fourth
quarter, played without two of its top three scorers, Derek
Anderson and Maurice Taylor. Anderson got a concussion Tuesday night against Milwaukee, while Taylor missed his second consecutive
game with a strained left foot.
Odom scored five consecutive points to pull the Clippers within
83-80 with 2:42 to play, then Brian Skinner got Los Angeles within a point with a dunk.
Following a T-Wolves turnover, Michael Olowokandi hit two free throws with 1:30 left to give Los Angeles its first lead since 7:52
remained in the third quarter. After Kevin Garnett missed at the
other end, Eric Murdock converted a three-point play with 49.5 seconds left to cap a 9-0 run.
Joe Smith hit a jumper to pull Minnesota within two, but Odom answered at the other end.
"Lamar, to be a rookie and only 20 years old, has so much confidence," Murdock said. "I think all great players have a certain cockiness about them that allow them to think they can't be stopped."
Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said Odom "showed why he's probably going to be rookie of the year."
Tyrone Nesby added 20 points and Olowokandi and Murdock had 16 each for the Clippers.
Garnett scored 23 points for Minnesota and tied a franchise record with 20 rebounds. Malik Sealy added 17 points off the bench.
"If you don't put teams away, this is what happens," Garnett
said. "They hung around for a while and they gained confidence.
Confidence is everything in this league."
After the teams ended the first half tied at 45, the T-Wolves
outscored the Clippers 25-16 in the third quarter, ending it with a
16-6 run for a 70-61 lead. Wally Szczerbiak scored 10 of his 11 points in the quarter.
Minnesota shot only 39 percent from the field and finished with
its lowest scoring output of the year.
"Our defense was absolutely excellent from the seven-minute
mark on," Clippers coach Chris Ford said. "That's what won the
game for us."
Game notes
It was the fifth time that a Timberwolves player grabbed 20 rebounds. Garnett has done it twice, while Tom Gugliotta, Tod Murphy and Dean Garrett each did it once. ... Anthony Peeler made 3 of 4 shots in the first quarter; the rest of the Timberwolves went 4-of-24.
| |
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
LA Clippers Clubhouse
Minnesota Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 114
Cleveland 103
Miami 98
Philadelphia 93
Charlotte 104
Dallas 99
Detroit 109
New Jersey 107
Portland 81
Orlando 79
LA Clippers 89
Minnesota 85
Utah 98
New York 90
Phoenix 105
Chicago 81
Seattle 111
Golden State 108
|
