Wolves Beat Clippers, 108-102, To Snap 14-Game Skid

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andrew Wiggins scored 31 points, Zach LaVine added 17 and the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Clippers 108-102 on Wednesday night, snapping a 14-game skid with their first win over Los Angeles at Staples Center in nearly four years.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Gorgui Dieng had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolves, who also ended two other streaks: five straight losses and 12 in a row on the road.

Chris Paul scored 22 points and Jamal Crawford added 21 off the bench for the Clippers. Their four-game winning streak ended and they fell to 15-4 without injured Blake Griffin. Their streak against the Wolves was the Clippers' longest active winning streak against any opponent.

The teams traded runs in the fourth, when the Wolves led by nine points before the Clippers briefly regained a one-point lead. Twice the Clippers tied the game in the final two minutes, but the Wolves scored to regain the lead.

Trailing 102-100, Paul hit Ricky Rubio on the head and knocked him down while trying desperately for a foul, resulting in a technical. Rubio hit the free throw and the Wolves scored four in a row for a 106-100 lead to put the game out of reach.

The Clippers closed within one early in the fourth before Minnesota went on an 8-0 run to extend its lead, 85-76. Dieng and Andre Miller each had 3-point plays and Shabazz Muhammad added a pair of free throws.

Los Angeles answered with a 12-2 spurt, including six by Crawford, for its first lead since early in the third, 88-87.

DeAndre Jordan had 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Clippers. Crawford made all 10 of his free throws.

Minnesota ran off 14 unanswered points for its largest lead of the game, 69-59, in the third. Towns had 11 points in the period after missing his first six shots of the game.

The Clippers rallied from 3-point range, hitting four treys, as part of a 15-7 run to trail 76-74 heading into the fourth. They started the quarter with 1 of 12 shooting.

The teams were nearly even in the first half, when the Clippers led 55-53 at the break. Both shot 53 percent, had 19 rebounds apiece and five turnovers each, and the Clippers' reserves outscored the Wolves' bench 21-20.

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: They improved to 1-2 against the Clippers this season. ... F Kevin Garnett missed his sixth straight game with a sore right knee. ... G Kevin Martin sat out his sixth in a row with a sore right wrist. ... C Nikola Pekovic was out for the second game in a row with a sore right foot.

Clippers: Jordan had three blocks to reach 1,000 for his career. ... G Austin Rivers was ejected after receiving back-to-back technicals in the second quarter. ... With still no word from the NBA on its investigation of Griffin punching a team staff member, the forward remained away from the team. Coach Doc Rivers said Griffin won't be on the upcoming four-game trip because of his broken hand from the punch-out and a partially torn tendon he already had. Rivers wasn't sure whether assistant equipment manager Matias Testi would re-join the team pending the outcome of the league's inquiry. ... Paul's young son, Chris Jr., presented his dad with his All-Star jersey before the game.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Host Chicago on Saturday.

Clippers: Visit Orlando on Friday to start a four-game trip.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)