On January 6th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season will continue, with the Clippers traveling to play against the Timberwolves as visitors.
The Timberwolves have recently fallen into difficulties again, suffering a three-game losing streak. In their last game, they were surprisingly defeated by the Pistons, with team core Edwards scoring an empty 53 points. Besides Randle's 17 points, no other players scored in double digits. After the game, Edwards even refused to be interviewed, clearly dissatisfied with the team's performance. Currently, the Timberwolves' record stands at 17 wins and 17 losses, ranking 10th in the West, and they still need to find their form.
This season, the Timberwolves' defensive performance has been good, allowing an average of only 108 points per game. However, the team's offense lags behind, averaging just 109.2 points. Moreover, the frontline anchored by Gobert is not stable, averaging only 42.8 rebounds per game, which ranks at the bottom of the league. The Timberwolves' offensive threat is still the three-pointer, averaging 15.1 made threes per game. Once they can shoot well, the chances of winning will increase. Edwards remains the team's offensive core, contributing an average of 25.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
The Clippers welcomed a resurgence in their last game, with Leonard making his debut in the new season. The team played an excellent game, setting a new high for the season with 36 assists, with eight players scoring in double digits, easily defeating the Hawks 131-105 to end their two-game losing streak. Leonard returned to play less than 20 minutes, hitting 3 out of 5 three-pointers for 12 points. Leonard's return also inspired the performances of other players, with each player appearing particularly excited. Currently, the Clippers' record stands at 20 wins and 15 losses, ranking seventh in the West, just half a game behind the fourth-placed Nuggets.
For this away game, the Clippers are still fully staffed, with Leonard continuing to play. During Leonard's absence, the Clippers' defense remained outstanding, allowing an average of only 107.9 points per game, making them the fourth-best defensive team in the league. With Leonard's return, it is believed that this performance will improve further. When Leonard was absent, Powell and Zubac became Harden's left and right arms, key factors in the team's ability to stay at the forefront of the West.
This is the third meeting between the two teams this season. The Clippers lost both previous games, with the most recent being a crushing 80-108 defeat to the Timberwolves. This time, the Clippers welcome back Leonard, and it remains to be seen if they can complete their revenge on the road.