On January 7th, Beijing time, in an NBA regular season game, the Clippers visited the Timberwolves. In the end, the Timberwolves made a big comeback from a 19-point deficit to defeat the Clippers 108-106. Harden scored 22 points, while Edwards had 37 points, including several crucial three-pointers in the final quarter.
In the previous game, Leonard returned to help his team win, currently ranking 7th in the West, while the Timberwolves were on a three-game losing streak, ranking 10th in the West. In the first quarter, the Timberwolves started with a 7-4 lead, but the Clippers responded with a 9-0 run to quickly take the lead. After a timeout, Leonard made a follow-up basket, McDaniels hit a step-back three-pointer, and Edwards responded in kind. Harden's breakthrough jumper extended the lead into double digits. Minot and Coffey combined for 5 points to further extend the lead, while Reid turned around for a layup, Edwards dunked, and Harden made a floater. At the end of the first quarter, the Clippers led by 11 points.
In the second quarter, Powell completed a 2+1 play, Walker hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer, Reid drove for a reverse layup, Xiao Jones made a strong attack, and Coffey had a two-handed slam dunk. Reid turned around for a layup, Zubac scored 5 points in a row, and Xiao Jones hit a three-pointer to stop the Timberwolves. Gobert easily dunked, Zubac made a simple layup, and Reid hit a corner three-pointer. The Timberwolves then narrowed the gap to 5 points. Powell stopped the bleeding with free throws, and at halftime, the Clippers led by 7 points.
In the third quarter, the Clippers' offense suddenly stalled in the first half of the quarter, while the Timberwolves launched a wave of attacks to quickly take the lead. They were hit with a 17-0 run in less than four minutes in the middle of the quarter, but the Clippers quickly adjusted and gradually caught up. The Timberwolves won the quarter 31-23 with an 8-point advantage, overtaking the Clippers by 1 point after three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves started with a 10-2 run, and Powell struggled to stop the bleeding with a driving layup. Conley easily broke through for another score, and Xiao Porter and Xiao Jones combined for 5 points to stop the Timberwolves. Reid made a floater to stop the bleeding, Zubac followed with another basket, and Powell continued with a three-pointer. Xiao Porter's layup gave them the lead again. Zubac and Xiao Jones made consecutive free throws, while Edwards scored consecutively to regain the lead. Harden made a floater, and McDaniels hit a three-pointer. Powell completed a 2+1 play, and Edwards hit consecutive three-pointers to secure the victory for the Timberwolves!