The majority of the Clippers that could actually affect the team;s chances of winning were sidelined with a combination of injuries and suspensions, so, not surprisingly, they fell to an equally shorthanded Timberwolves club by a score of 87-77 at Staples Center.
The few fans that bothered to stay showered the Clippers with boos, as L.A. managed just 36 points in the second half, and just 15 in the final period. Two of the Clippers' starters -- Steve Novak and DeAndre Jordan -- combined to go 0-for-12 from the field for zero points, although Jordan left with an achilles injury after playing just 19 minutes.
L.A. was of course without Zach Randolph, who is serving a team-mandated two-game suspension for his recent DUI arrest. They were also missing Al Thornton because of a sprained shoulder, Chris Kaman because of the flu, and Marcus Camby because of a sprained ankle.
Minnesota was plenty injured too, but they seemed to play with a little bit more desire, and their size advantage didn't hurt, either.
After all, they only out-rebounded the Clippers 62-34.
Eric Gordon was the lone bright spot for the Clippers, as he finished with 28 points on 17 shots, and added four rebounds and three assists.
But that was pretty much it. A section of fans went to the "Fire Dunleavy" chants, but it's unclear whether they were asking for his head as coach, general manager, or both. The conventional wisdom says to let him go as coach and retain him as GM, but given his contract situation and the way things have gone with the signing of Davis and the trade for Randolph, the ownership group will probably look at flipping the script -- at least in the immediate future.
