Ball's 24 Points Lead Timberwolves' Rout of Slumping Clippers in Minneapolis

Minnesota needed a response, and LaMelo Ball provided it. Ball scored 24 points and dished seven assists as the Timberwolves pulled away for a 127-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday in Minneapolis, snapping a two-game skid in emphatic style. Jaden McDaniels finished with 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists, while Bones Hyland added 19 points off the bench. Minnesota dominated the paint, outscoring the Clippers 62-42, led by as many as 29 points and never trailed by more than three after jumping out to an early double-digit lead. It was the Timberwolves' first victory since losing star guard Anthony Edwards to a knee injury expected to sideline him for two months. Ayo Dosunmu made his second straight start in Edwards' place and finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, helping Minnesota build a 13-point halftime lead before a 17-9 third-quarter run put the game away. Darius Garland scored 24 points on 10-for-22 shooting to lead Los Angeles, which took its fourth loss in a row. Brook Lopez scored 13 points off the bench, and Rui Hachimura and reserve Keaton Wagler finished with 12 points apiece, but the Clippers never found an answer once Minnesota's lead stretched into double figures. The win steadies the Timberwolves at a fragile moment; the Clippers, meanwhile, keep sliding.