Rider Gets Hot, Burns Clippers

MINNEAPOLIS — Isaiah Rider capped a 16-point fourth quarter with a tiebreaking three-point basket with 16 seconds left Sunday to lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 96-93 victory over the Clippers.

Rider made only one of nine shots in the first three quarters but scored on seven of his last nine to finish with a team-high 21 points.

“I had really good looks the whole game,” said Rider, who has been coming off the bench the last two games after missing six of the previous eight. “They just weren’t falling for me (until the fourth quarter).”

Since March 3, Rider has sat out four games because of an injured ankle, suffered from food poisoning and been fined three times by the Timberwolves.

“(Rider) came back and played great,” Minnesota Coach Bill Blair said. “He’s capable of jumping up any time and making a big shot.”

On the game-winning play, Rider fed Tom Gugliotta in the post. Gugliotta lost control of the ball but dived and slapped it out to Rider, who made the three-point shot as the shot clock expired.

Last-ditch three-point attempts by Pooh Richardson and Loy Vaught bounced off the rim, and the Clippers lost their 12th consecutive road game.

Gugliotta scored 18 points, and Christian Laettner had a season-high 16 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have won two in a row for only the fourth time this season.

Vaught had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.

“If we were given wins by the number of teams we scare, we’d be over .500 by now,” Vaught said.

Terry Dehere made a three-point shot with six minutes remaining to move the Clippers up, 83-79, but they failed to widen their lead, and Rider tied the score at 91-91 with a three-point shot with 1:32 left.

Gugliotta put the Wolves ahead, 93-91, with a jumper with 52 seconds left, but Pooh Richardson tied the score with 40 seconds to play. Then Rider did the Clippers in.