Timberwolves 109 - 97 Clippers
Final
  for this game

Timberwolves use bench to surge past Clippers

Feb 29, 2012 - 6:45 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Derrick Williams and Michael Beasley came off the Timberwolves bench and scored 27 points apiece in Tuesday's 109-97 win over the Clippers.

The Timberwolves, winners of five of their last six games, trailed 76-73 after three quarters, but got 13 points from both Williams and Beasley in the fourth to claim the victory.

Williams went 9-of-10 from the field on the night and made all four of his three-point attempts en route to a career-high point total. Beasley was 3- for-3 from beyond the arc and hit 11-of-15 shots overall.

"We took what they gave us," said Beasley. "Coming off the bench is different, but it's not about the bench, it's a team win."

Blake Griffin had 30 points for the Clippers, who have lost three of their last four. Chris Paul added 27 points and six assists.

Williams tied the game at 76 with a three-pointer on the Timberwolves' first touch of the fourth.

It was still tied, 80-80, when Williams and Beasley buried the Clippers in tandem.

Williams got it started with a personal 10-2 run, hitting five free throws, a three-pointer and a 22-foot pull up jumper to make it 90-82 with seven minutes to go.

Beasley then took over.

He scored 13 of the Timberwolves' next 14 points and proved versatile during the stretch, making a three-pointer, a layup, several crafty mid-range shots and a pair of free throws en route to a decisive 104-87 lead.

Prior to their fourth-quarter collapse, the Clippers had been in control during much of the early action.

They were up 31-22 after one behind 18 points from Griffin and held on for a 54-51 lead at the break.

A 6-0 burst to start the third staked LA to a 61-51 advantage, matching its largest lead of the game.

"Disappointing effort all around," said Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro. "They have a lot of scorers and a couple of them got hot tonight."

Game Notes

Kevin Love, who won the Three-Point Shootout during this past weekend's All- Star festivities, had 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting. He suffered a rib contusion in the fourth quarter and briefly went to the locker room before returning to the court...Williams was a loser in the weekend's Slam Dunk Contest...Clippers center DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 14 rebounds.






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