Garnett Shows Clippers a Lot

Kevin Garnett established Minnesota’s franchise record on Friday by bumping his season minutes total to 3,249.

And in case anyone needed a reminder, Garnett showed again how valuable he is to the Timberwolves with a typical 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in a 106-90 victory over the Clippers.

“You’ve just got to take the same mind-set into every game,” Garnett said.

Garnett isn’t going to get much rest before the postseason, but Coach Flip Saunders doesn’t have much choice.

“You’re always concerned,” Saunders said, “but that’s just the way it is. That’s why I’ve said he’s the MVP, because of the drop-off we do have and everything he does for us.”

Wally Szczerbiak added 19 points for the Timberwolves (49-31), who had lost five of seven but moved into fourth place in the Western Conference playoff race with Portland’s loss to Memphis. The Trail Blazers and Lakers are 48-31.

The Lakers play the Trail Blazers on Sunday, when the Timberwolves play host to Chicago. The No. 4-seeded team gets the home-court advantage for the first round.

“We’re just trying to control our own destiny and get home court,” Szczerbiak said. “That’s our main goal.”

Elton Brand had 20 points, and Corey Maggette 18 for the Clippers (24-55), who lost their ninth in a row on the road.

They began a back-and-forth second half with an 18-12 run that cut the lead to 61-58.

Then Minnesota, which shot 72% (13 for 18) in the third quarter, used a 13-2 run over the final three minutes of the period to take an 85-65 lead on Marc Jackson’s pull-up three-pointer at the buzzer.

The Clippers cut it to 90-83 on Eric Piatkowski’s layup with eight minutes to go, but they didn’t score again until a jumper by Sean Rooks with 2:15 left.

“We definitely thought it was our turn,” Brand said, “but you have to give them credit, because they fought hard. They really wanted that victory.”

Obviously.

If the Timberwolves and the Lakers win out -- they finish by hosting Denver and playing at Golden State -- they’ll meet in the first round with the three-time defending champions winning the tiebreaker for the fourth spot.

That would make it tough for Minnesota to end its string of six opening-round exits.

“It’s important to focus game by game,” Garnett said. “Don’t dilute yourself or your team by thinking about it.”

With Lamar Odom a late scratch because of a sore left ankle, the Clippers used their 23rd different starting lineup this year.

“We missed his play out on the floor,” interim Coach Dennis Johnson said. “But we’ve been facing that all year.”