National Basketball Association

Timberwolves display grit, Clippers unravel late in bizarre game

Updated Apr. 13, 2022 2:30 p.m. ET

By Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Writer

The Clippers couldn't have scripted things better.

Karl-Anthony Towns, the Minnesota Timberwolves' superstar, fouled out of Tuesday's play-in game with 7:34 left, finishing with the worst plus-minus (-14) of anyone on the team.

The Clippers had executed their game plan perfectly. Their swarming defense knocked the 6-foot-11 center off his game. They frustrated him into becoming a spectator on the bench.

But there was a plot twist.

Instead of sailing to an easy victory in the play-in game, the Clippers unraveled down the stretch as Minnesota put on a master class on teamwork behind Patrick Beverley's grit and the silky strokes of Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell.

Now, following their 109-104 loss, the Clippers have to play a do-or-die game Friday at home against the winner of Wednesday's showdown between the 10th-seeded New Orleans Pelicans and 11th-seeded San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves secured the seventh seed.

This loss is going to sting.

The Clippers had a 10-point lead with 8:40 left. A minute later, the Timberwolves lost their best player. This one should've been in the bag. But in the final minutes, the Clippers slid into a Los Angeles-sized scoring drought, while the Timberwolves let it rain in the land of 10,000 lakes, transforming their double-digit deficit into a lead as big as seven points, a 17-point turnaround.

"They played a lot better without KAT on the floor," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said dryly. "They got into us defensively. They were able to switch a lot more stuff. And I just didn't think we made the right plays."

Edwards, who is only 20 years old and was playing in his first postseason game, had 30 points on 10-for-21 shooting. Russell had 29 points on 10-for-18 shooting, five rebounds and six assists. And Beverley was the heart and soul of the team, igniting Minnesota with his inexhaustible motor while finishing with seven points and 11 rebounds.

After the game, the emotions poured out of Beverley, whom the Clippers traded in August. He cried as he hugged his teammates. He went on Instagram Live, unleashing an expletive-laden rant, calling his former team the "weak-a-- Clippers" and telling them to "get the f--- out of here." And he drank a beer during his interview with reporters.

"I gave my blood and sweat and tears to that organization," said Beverley, who signed a one-year, $13 million contract extension with the Timberwolves. "... To just be written off like that: 'Ah, he's injury-prone, he's old, this, this, that, that.' To be able to play them in a play-in and beat their a--, no [better] feeling."

While the Timberwolves celebrated reaching their second postseason series since 2004, the Clippers found themselves in a familiar position: with their backs against the wall.

They have one game left to save their season.

At least this isn't new territory for the Clippers. They battled back from two 0-2 deficits in the playoffs last season, against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round and the Utah Jazz in the second, to reach the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

And this season, they've proven over and over again that they have a lot of fight in them. While other injury-ravaged teams excused away their failures (i.e. the Lakers), the Clippers dug deep and secured the eighth seed without Kawhi Leonard for the entire season and without Paul George for more than half of it.

With their playoff hopes holding on by a thread, George is bracing himself for what's to come.

"I could care less who we play," said George, who had 34 points, seven rebounds and five assists. "The mindset is we have to win regardless. There's no pep talk, X's and O's. We've got to win if we want to continue our season."

The already very dramatic evening took a bizarre turn late in the second quarter, when a fan tried to glue her hand to the court to protest Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor's factory egg farm. The farm reportedly has had to kill chickens in response to an avian influenza outbreak.

The fan, who wore a shirt that read "Glen Taylor Roasts Animals Alive," was escorted off the court by security, while members of both teams looked on confused.

"I saw it, and I thought she fell down. I didn't know what happened to her," Lue said before expressing shock when a reporter explained what happened. "What do you mean glued herself to the floor?!"

Added Beverley: "I tried to help her up. I just wanted to make sure she was OK."

To think things got even stranger from there.

In the fourth quarter, Edwards and Russell combined for 17 points, nearly as many as the Clippers scored in the entire period (20).

It was an unfortunate loss for the Clippers, and now, everything comes down to Friday.

Either they'll show their toughness yet again.

Or they'll be the latest team from L.A. to slink away with its tail between its legs.

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.