MINNEAPOLIS — At one point in the third quarter Wednesday, Clippers forward Paul George hit a fadeaway shot over Jaden McDaniels and considered himself so on fire he had to fan himself.
George wasn't the only one the Wolves needed to cool off Wednesday.
Through six games, the Wolves' offense has struggled to find its footing, but the defense had been a source of promise. On Wednesday night, the Clippers made the Wolves pay for every open shot they allowed in a 126-115 Wolves loss at Target Center.
The Wolves didn't have their best defensive effort of the season, but they didn't get any help from the Target Center rims, as the Clippers shot 47 of 78 (60%) and 21 of 36 (58%) from 3-point range. That included a 17-for-20 performance during a jaw-dropping third quarter.
The Wolves were able to keep the game from getting out of hand thanks to 21 forced turnovers, and despite the Clippers evisceration of the nets, the Wolves got a few stops in the fourth and cut a 15-point Los Angeles lead to 118-113 with 3 minutes, 19 seconds remaining, but the Wolves committed a few badly-timed turnovers as the Clippers hit a few too many shots.
George finished with 32 points, eight assists and six rebounds on 11-of-18 shooting and had help in torching the Wolves from Reggie Jackson, who added 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Anthony Edwards had 28 points to lead the Wolves and returned after injuring his knee in a collision during the third quarter while Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
With D'Angelo Russell out because of a sore right ankle, Patrick Beverley earned the start at point guard after a one-game absence because of left calf soreness, but it didn't much matter who was at point guard early, the Wolves' half-court offense was still choppy and struggled to hit open shots early.
The Wolves' best offense early came from Edwards, who had success taking it to the rim. The Wolves were also able to capitalize in transition on the turnovers they generated against the Clippers, who otherwise got efficient production from their three main scorers in George, Jackson and Mann. In the first quarter Jackson helped the Clippers pull ahead by hitting five of his first seven shots, including three 3s. He had 13 in the first while Edwards had nine for the Wolves and the Clippers had a four-point lead.
The second quarter became George's time, as he hit difficult shots over the lanky McDaniels and flexed after blocking Towns at the rim. George had 12 in the second quarter as the Clippers opened up a 58-46 lead.
Edwards wouldn't let that double-digit deficit stand for long. He continued having his greatest success in getting downhill toward the rim, whether in half court or transition. He set up Malik Beasley for a 3, had a three-point play of his own and a layup to help the Wolves close the half on an 8-0 run. Edwards was 1 for 7 on 3s in the first half and 6 for 6 from 2-point range.
The Clippers shot 56% in the half. The Wolves stayed in it thanks to 19 points off 13 Los Angeles turnovers.
The third quarter had a lot happening in the first few minutes. Josh Okogie scored the first nine points for the Wolves has he temporarily turned into an offensive juggernaut. Then in a scary moment, Edwards injured his right knee in a collision with Eric Bledsoe and hobbled to the locker room.
He returned a few minutes later after a 9-2 Clippers run put them back in control, and the Clippers wouldn't let up from there. If it seemed like everything they threw up went in during the third, that's because almost everything did. They missed just three shots that quarter, more than enough to keep the Wolves from coming all the way back.
