The Timberwolves win their third straight, suffocating the Clippers with a stunning victory

Rudy Gobert delivered a fairly unremarkable pass to Jaden McDaniels for a layup in the opening minutes.

It was the kind of game that suggested it might just be the Timberwolves’ night, and it certainly was Wednesday as they dominated the Los Angeles Clippers from start to finish en route to a 108-80 win in the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

It all started in that first quarter. Julius Randle hit four 3-pointers in the first frame to give the Wolves (11-10) a 33-14 lead after 12 minutes of play. Randle scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the first 24.

But what was even more impressive than the no-look passes or Randle’s hot hand was Minnesota’s defense. In the last three games, the Wolves have shown their three best defensive performances of the season – and it’s getting better every game. After holding the Clippers (14-10) to just 14 points in the first quarter, the Wolves limited them to just 18 points in each of the following two frames. Los Angeles shot just 35% from the field and 28% from three yards.

The Wolves had 15 steals. They forced Los Angeles into a total of 23 turnovers and scored 32 fast-break points to the Clippers’ eight.

James Harden couldn’t buy a shot, scoring just five points on 1-of-10 shooting while turning the ball over four times. Bones Hyland scored a team-high 18 points off the bench. Derrick Jones Jr. finished with 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting.

Even the Clippers’ bright spots had ties to Minnesota. Former Minnesota Gophers star Amir Coffey, a starter, finished the game with 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Cam Christie, a rookie and another former Gophers star, put together the best game of his young NBA career. He made some spectacular plays, such as a steal and running out in transition for a dunk at the end of the third quarter. Christie also hit a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with five points, three boards and two steals.

For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards scored 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. McDaniels and Mike Conley each scored 11 points. Gobert recorded eight points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and one block.

The Wolves assisted on 31 of their 41 shots made.

Josh Minott put together his best performance of the season, setting season highs in minutes (21), points (13), rebounds (eight) and assists (three). The Wolves emptied their bench late and Luka Garza scored 10 points in eight minutes.

It was an all-around dominant performance from the Wolves on Wednesday, reminiscent of their previous win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Minnesota has now put together three strong defensive performances in a row, resulting in three straight wins. It seems that the Wolves have found their identity and have returned to winning ways.