The victory lifted Los Angeles above the .500 mark as the team secured its third consecutive win and sixth victory in the last seven games. The Clippers, currently eighth in the Western Conference with a 33-32 record after starting the season 6-21, also recorded their highest scoring game of the season.
Los Angeles followed up Monday’s win against New York with another strong performance to begin a five-game homestand. Leonard was highly efficient, shooting 15 of 20 from the field, hitting 6 of 9 three-pointers and converting 9 of 10 free throws. The Clippers finished the game with 19 successful three-pointers out of 37 attempts.
Bennedict Mathurin contributed 22 points for Los Angeles, while new addition Darius Garland added 21 points, including five three-pointers.
For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards led the scoring with 36 points, while Naz Reid added 18.
The Timberwolves slipped to sixth place in the tightly contested Western Conference standings but remain just half a game behind the third-place Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota has now lost three straight games after previously winning five in a row and had also been defeated by the Lakers on Tuesday to start a four-game road trip.
Leonard set the tone early by scoring 18 points in the first quarter to give the Clippers a 38-27 lead. He had 28 points by halftime with Los Angeles leading 74-65 and entered the fourth quarter with 39 points as the Clippers held a 109-98 advantage.
