Naz Reid scored the game-clinching triple with 13 seconds left, Jaden McDaniels finished with 27 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-106 on James Harden’s night.
Julius Randle added 24 points for Minnesota. Reid’s game-winning 3-pointer capped a 19-point night coming off the bench, shooting 5-for-8 from three. McDaniels then made two free throws with 4.8 seconds left to seal the Timberwolves’ victory.
Minnesota achieved its fifth consecutive victory, the longest streak of its season. The Clippers, however, have lost seven of their last eight games.
James Harden led the Clippers with 34 points and moved up to 10th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He passed Carmelo Anthony (28,289 points) with two free throws in the third quarter.
Kawhi Leonard added 20 points, while Ivica Zubac finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers. Harden missed the triple at the siren for a possible equalizer.
Minnesota came into the game with the fourth-best three-point percentage in the NBA (38.7 percent) but started a lackluster 2/10 from beyond the arc in the first half.
The music changed in the second half: McDaniels scored three triples, leading the comeback from -18. The Timberwolves finished 11/25 from three.
Harden closed the first half with four straight points. Rudy Gobert was given a flagrant foul for landing under Harden’s feet on a three-point attempt. Harden converted the two free throws and then added another basket in the final seconds of the half, heading into halftime with 19 points.
Upcoming matches
Clippers: they close the trip on Thursday in Houston.
Timberwolves: at home against Phoenix on Tuesday.
