NBA Play-in Race Narrows as Clippers, Blazers Stumble; Shorthanded Timberwolves Fall Again
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Clippers Lose Ground in Oklahoma City
The Los Angeles Clippers slipped to eighth place in the Western Conference after a 128-110 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points, marking his 56th consecutive game with at least 20, while Brook Lopez finished with 16. Los Angeles trailed by as many as 25 after a dominant first half from Chet Holmgren and never mounted a serious comeback.
The Clippers, now 40-40, had gone 35-18 since late December and won seven of their previous nine. Wednesday’s loss was compounded by the absence of Darius Garland, who sat out to manage a toe injury and has yet to appear in back-to-back games since his midseason arrival.
Los Angeles travels to Portland on Friday for a pivotal matchup. The winner is expected to lock up the No. 8 seed, while the loser could slide to ninth and face a tougher play-in path. One more victory would extend the Clippers’ streak of consecutive winning seasons to 15.
Blazers Drop Second Straight, Remain Ninth
The Portland Trail Blazers also fell to 40-40 after a 112-101 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, their second defeat following a brief three-game winning streak. Deni Avdija paced Portland with 27 points and Scoot Henderson added 20, but six Spurs reached double figures to keep the Blazers at bay.
Portland trailed 30-25 after the first quarter, hurt by an 8-0 Spurs burst to close the period. San Antonio later used a 13-2 run late in the third to seize control. DeAaron Fox led the Spurs with 25 points, consistently breaking down the Blazers’ defense.
Despite the setback, Portland holds ninth place in the West with a 2.5-game cushion over Golden State entering the final weekend.
Timberwolves Focus on Health After Loss in Orlando
The Minnesota Timberwolves, already assured a playoff berth, dropped their fifth game in seven outings with a 132-120 loss to the Orlando Magic. Rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. erupted for a career-best 33 points—29 after halftime—on 11-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-7 from deep, and added five assists. Jaden McDaniels returned from a knee injury to post 18 points in 19 minutes.
Minnesota played without Anthony Edwards (knee), Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and several other recent starters. The Timberwolves stayed close early before Orlando widened the gap late in the first half and blew the game open with a 22-6 third-quarter surge.
With the postseason approaching, Minnesota appears committed to prioritizing player health over short-term results.
Source: Hoops Wire
