Timberwolves rout Clippers 127-101 in first win without Edwards
LaMelo Ball posted a season-high 24 points as Minnesota defeated Los Angeles in NBA Cup group play.
By Zoe Ruiz ·
The Minnesota Timberwolves scored 127 points to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 127-101 on Friday night, securing their first victory without star guard Anthony Edwards.
LaMelo Ball led the offense with a season-high 24 points. Jaden McDaniels contributed 23 points, 11-for-15 shooting, seven assists, and six rebounds. Bones Hyland added 19 points and eight assists from the bench for the 4-2 Timberwolves.
Edwards missed the game while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. The procedure became necessary after a fresh exam following a 127-125 overtime loss at Cleveland on Monday. The injury had previously limited Edwards to 61 games in the 2025-26 regular season, a career-low for him.
The Timberwolves had struggled in their previous outing, falling 119-114 to Golden State on Wednesday. They regrouped on Friday using a 20-2 fourth-quarter surge to pull away from the Clippers. Ball hit three three-pointers during that run. This marks the fourth straight Minnesota win by a margin of more than 20 points.
Backup guard Jaylen Clark played 17 minutes and finished with a plus-23 rating. He recorded five points, two steals, and helped force five turnovers by Clippers guard Darius Garland.
The Clippers dropped to 1-4 and lost their fourth consecutive game. Darius Garland finished with 24 points on 10-for-22 shooting. Brook Lopez added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench. Keaton Wagler scored 12 points on 2-for-11 shooting and finished minus-24. Rui Hachimura started in place of the injured Max Strus, scoring 12 points in 26 minutes. The team played without Brandon Ingram and Max Strus due to foot injuries.
The Clippers travel to Golden State to face the Warriors on Sunday. The Timberwolves host the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
Source: WRAZ
