Clippers 115, Timberwolves 96: A Performance That Spoke Volumes

With 8:25 left in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles Clippers rookie Yanic Niederhauser rose up in a crowd of three Minnesota Timberwolves. Off of a miss, the young big man grabbed the ball, dunked it with authority, and picked up an and one in the process.

Stretching the lead to 24 for the Clippers at that point in the game, it was an indictment and moment to look in the mirror for a Wolves team that continued to write the same story it has all season. The problem is, the circumstances on this one weighed much heavier.

After an inexcusable loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night that showed all of the usual porous defensive efforts, Rudy Gobert had enough and went just short of nuclear in his postgame comments.

With new trade acquisition Ayo Dosunmu making his debut on Sunday, it was a ball on a tee for the Timberwolves to respond to a pointed callout against a Clipper team overwhelmed from a talent perspective on national TV.

Instead what followed was a bored and tired performance with a level of energy that often plagues this team.

Specifically from the Wolves’ top two options in Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, who would be fair to assume was the majority of the target of Gobert’s postgame comments, a failure to set the tone on Sunday came from the top.

At the end of the first half, Edwards had eight points on 3-11 shooting, no rebounds, just one assist, and sandwiched an 0-5 start from three in as well. Randle added six first half points on 37% shooting, and rounded things off with two second half rebounds.

Behind both statlines were poor off-ball defense for most of the game, and a lot of reliance on drawing fouls for production.

“I feel like we had good energy today, but the offense just wasn’t going for us…especially for me,” Edwards said after the game.

Except it wasn’t. The energy wasn’t there. Perhaps postgame quotes were a little more tempered this time around with what Gobert said on Friday, but “good” would not be an adjective many would use to describe what came out on Sunday.

Instead, it was perhaps another case study of letting one side of the ball impact the other.

A place where the energy was indeed “good”? The opposite bench. Kawhi Leonard finished the game with 41 points and four steals. The rest of his team?

They followed suit.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – FEBRUARY 08: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers goes to the basket against Donte DiVincenzo #0 and Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Target Center on February 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Clippers defeated the Timberwolves 115-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images

“Not Included Enough”

Donte DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels combined for three points.

Frankly, that’s not surprising considering their combined seven shots.

“I’ve gotta get them [each] to ten shots at least,” coach Chris Finch said after the game. “We’ve got to be able to find the next play for those guys.”

McDaneils specifically in years past has been tabbed a “barometer for ball movement” by Finch. Someone who may not get as many plays called or work to assert his will on the game offensively, McDaniels’ reflexive position seemed to be a thing of the past this season with his continued improvement and clear next step taken offensively.

Averaging 15 points and a 44% three point shooter, it’s impossible to imagine a game in which the two-way wing finishes things with just four shots. The Kawhi assignment that McDaniels drew certainly didn’t help, a seemingly impossible task for a game in which Leonard was unrelenting in his offense.

Facing multiple screens on most possessions, I question if more volume for Jaden on offense was the answer out of this one.

For DiVincenzo, I raise a few more questions.

The Wolves are 21-10 this season when he scores 12 or more points, and indicator that he’s getting the ball and pairing that with solid looks from three.

“Once you get stops and run, then everyone is touching the ball,” he said in the locker room after the game, noting more of a reluctance in the half court when the Wolves don’t get stops on the defensive end.

When games tend to get into a track meet, the ball finds the hands of Edwards and Randle more often, and they feel the need to keep the pace themselves. When the ball doesn’t find the cylinder, the avalanche tends to begin.

“I think the energy right now feels like we lost five in a row,” DiVincenzo added. “But this team responds, and whatever the coaches bring to us tomorrow, we have to address.”

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – FEBRUARY 08: Ayo Dosunmu #13 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball against Jordan Miller #22 of the Los Angeles Clippers in the first quarter at Target Center on February 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Quickly On Dosunmu

Ayo Dosunmu made his Wolves debut, and it had all of the makings of a team debut.

Clearly not comfortable with the offense yet, the former Illinois guard showed hesitancy within the offense, and finished the game with a team-low -33.

But the plus minus doesn’t tell the full story. The argument can be made that the former Bull was the only member of the Wolves that decided to play hard on Sunday, and flashed in spots specifically in the first half.

For the near term, it may look a little bumpy for someone who will be on the ball as much as Dosunmu. But the defensive chops are there, and the energy he brings was clear right away. He stood up multiple drives, and showed effort around the basket, which will certainly be welcomed on the Wolves bench.

If the pyramid of energy can flip moving forward with the top two players bringing a little more to the table, the newly-acquired Dosunmu’s addition will look more like a puzzle piece that fits moving forward, as opposed to the team-wide awkwardness felt in his debut.

Up Next

A familiar face in Nickeil Alexander-Walker is in town to face his former team head on with his current one in the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta has won two of their last three, with the loss coming to a red-hot Charlotte Hornets team.

Another performance with poor energy would be shocking and raise further alarms with this team. Alexander-Walker is particularly close with many members of this team, which is something that raises the compete level. Piling onto that is the last time the Wolves played the Hawks; a notorious 24 point blowout that temporarily woke the Wolves up for a few games and was a hard look in the mirror of how things were going at that time.

“In Atlanta we got our asses kicked,” Donte DiVincenzo said after the game, reflecting back and answering a question on how this team handles lulls in the season, with the New Year’s Eve game in A-Town being one of them.

It’s well known in the locker room, and the hope is that it can radiate in the wake of a bad matinee on Sunday.

Tipoff at Target Center is slated for 7:00 PM CST.

“Highlights” (There Weren’t Many)

Clippers 115, Timberwolves 96: A Performance That Spoke Volumes

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