The LA Clippers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-106 on Saturday night at Target Center, dropping their record to 6-18 on the season as their struggles continue. 

Despite a strong effort from James Harden, who poured in 34 points and made NBA history in the process, the Clippers couldn’t close out the game when it mattered most.

With 13 seconds left and the game tied, Timberwolves reserve Naz Reid drilled a go-ahead three-pointer that proved to be the dagger. Harden had a chance to tie it at the buzzer, but his three-point attempt came up short as Minnesota held on for the win.

The Clippers actually played well for much of the night, building a lead as large as 18 points in the first half behind Harden’s hot shooting. But Minnesota, now 15-8 and winners of five straight games, clawed their way back in the second half thanks to some lights-out shooting from deep. 

Bogdan Bogdanovic also returned from a long absence and provided good minutes in his time on the floor, but even that couldn’t push the Clippers through. 

The Timberwolves entered the game with the fourth-best three-point percentage in the league at 38.7%, and while they started slow from behind the arc (just 2-for-10 in the first half), they caught fire after halftime and finished 11-of-25 from three.

Jaden McDaniels led the charge for Minnesota with 27 points, including three triples in the second half that helped dig the Wolves out of their early hole. 

Julius Randle added 24 points, and Reid’s 19 points off the bench (5-of-8 from deep) proved to be the difference.

Harden was excellent in defeat, and the night was historic for the 36-year-old guard. 

He moved into 10th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, passing Carmelo Anthony (28,289 points) with a pair of free throws in the third quarter. The former MVP has been carrying an enormous load for the Clippers all season, averaging 26.5 points per game, but it hasn’t been enough to get the team wins.

“The situation here is difficult,” Harden said earlier this week after another loss. “We’re not making shots offensively. Defensively, we allow mistakes too many times. It’s one of the reasons why we lose games.”

Kawhi Leonard chipped in 20 points, while Ivica Zubac recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. 

But the supporting cast beyond those three continues to struggle, and the team’s depth has been hit hard by injuries to Bradley Beal (out for the season) and Derrick Jones Jr. (knee).

The loss drops the Clippers to 3-11 on the road this season as their struggles away from home continue. 

They’ve now lost seven of their last eight games overall and sit near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, 10.5 games behind the first-place Lakers in the Pacific Division.

The Clippers will wrap up their five-game road trip on Thursday when they visit the Houston Rockets, who are 15-5 and one of the best teams in the West. 

After that, they’ll return home to face the Memphis Grizzlies on December 15 before a tough matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 17.