Clippers thrown to the ‘Wolves

Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy made it very clear before Saturday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center what would be at stake for those players who didn’t pay attention to the standings.

Having split their first two games, the Clippers and Timberwolves were facing the deciding game in their season series and possibly the deciding factor in postseason considerations.

“You have to have certain games,” Dunleavy said. “We can’t afford to lose to this team. This is more than a game. It’s worth 1 1/2 to two games. That’s the way you have to look at it because of the tiebreaker.”

Thus inspired, the Clippers went out and lost, 101-87.

Each team is now 21-22.

Regardless of whether the games figure in tiebreakers, it was a streak breaker. The Clippers had won four in a row, the Timberwolves had lost six in a row and Minnesota had lost the first two games it had played under Coach Randy Wittman, who replaced the fired Dwane Casey.

The Timberwolves had also lost seven of 10 and were only 8-14 on the road before Saturday.

Minnesota was led Saturday by Kevin Garnett, who had a game-high 32 points, making 10 of 19 from the field and 12 of 13 from the free-throw line. Garnett also had a team-high nine rebounds.

Elton Brand had 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers on a night when they won the battle of the boards, 43-36.

But the most glaring number for the Clippers was to be found in the turnovers. They had a season-high 26, including 15 in the first half, resulting in 32 Minnesota points. Sam Cassell had six turnovers and Brand and Corey Maggette each had five.

The Timberwolves committed 16 turnovers, leading to 19 Clippers points.

The Clippers also had only 12 assists, tying a season low.

“We were sloppy,” Brand said.

“We did everything to beat ourselves,” said Cassell, “and that’s what happened.”

The Clippers trailed the Timberwolves, 46-38, at the half after being behind, 25-16, at the end of the first quarter.

The Clippers had narrowed the gap by the end of the third quarter, trailing by three, 72-69.

“I told the guys at the beginning of the fourth quarter,” Dunleavy said, “I can’t believe we can play any worse than how we are playing and it is still a three-point ballgame.”

The Clippers finally caught the Timberwolves at the start of the fourth quarter, when Garnett was on the bench.

Actually, Garnett contributed to the Clippers’ surge from the bench. He was assessed a technical foul for something he said.

Cassell converted the free throw and subsequent free throws by Tim Thomas and Shaun Livingston -- two apiece -- enabled the Clippers to move ahead, 74-72.

The lead then see-sawed until Minnesota went on a 10-0 run punctuated by a flagrant foul committed by Thomas against Ricky Davis. After the officials separated the two, Davis made both free throws.

The Timberwolves weren’t finished. Instead, they continued on a 14-2 run, punctuated only by two free throws by Maggette.

Maggette contributed 19 points off the bench in just under 27 minutes. He made nine of 10 throws.

Minnesota, however, had the more balanced attack with all five starters scoring in double figures.

“We’ve got to catch people,” Dunleavy had said before the game. “We’ve got to play better. I don’t look at it like teams ahead of us are coming back to us. We’ve got to take care of our own business. You can’t count on other people to do your work for you.”

Based on Saturday night’s game, the Clippers, despite their recent surge, still have plenty of work to do.

*

steve.springer@latimes.com

KEYS TO THE GAME

* The Clippers committed a season-high 26 turnovers, led by Sam Cassell with six and Elton Brand and Corey Maggette with five each, leading to 32 Minnesota points.

* On the other end of the spectrum, the Clippers had only 12 assists, tying a season low.

* While Kevin Garnett led Minnesota offensively as usual with 32 points, the Timberwolves won with a balanced attack, all five starters scoring in double figures.

--STEVE SPRINGER