Clippers find a lesser foe

Rumors of change after a continued slide, perhaps even as drastic as a coaching switch, hung in the crisp fall air.

This also was the big question after yet another loss: Had the team hit rock bottom?

And, no, this is not about the Clippers.

The difference was that Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy was answering that question before they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 107-84, Saturday night at Target Center in front of 10,863.

Minnesota’s players were handling those sort of questions after their losing streak hit five games. The Clippers were trying to salvage this four-game trip after having lost the first three games, including Friday night’s dud at Memphis.

“I like the way our guys responded,” Dunleavy said. “We looked at this road trip and we wanted to go 2-2, 3-1, and we let that one get away in Dallas and then we laid an egg last night.”

The egg laying included a mere three offensive rebounds against the Grizzlies. On Saturday, the Clippers had five in the first quarter against the Timberwolves.

In all, the Clippers outrebounded the Timberwolves, 54-38, led by Marcus Camby’s 19 rebounds, a team season high, and his seven blocked shots.

“I just tried to get to the spot before the ball got there and stay aggressive,” Camby said.

He scored 12 points, and Baron Davis had 27 points, including four three-point baskets and nine assists. Zach Randolph had 21 points and nine rebounds.

“We let a couple of games go on this road trip that we could have won,” Davis said. “There’s no way we should be 4-16, but at the same time, that’s our record.”

Davis spoke of a stylistic evolution.

“I thought this road trip we ran a little bit more and performed out there on our instincts out there more so than anything,” Davis said. “That’s what we have to do when our offense gets bogged down because a lot of teams are prepared for us. We have to be a little more creative as far as what we’re doing out there on the offensive end.”

The low point of the season may well have been the lackluster performance against the Grizzlies.

“We’ve got to get better at our decision making, between shot selection and turnovers,” Dunleavy said of that showing. “It’s letting teams either stay in games or win games and it puts a lot of pressure on your defense.”

And so, at least for one night, Minnesota was the salve for the Clippers’ wounds. The Timberwolves shot 20% from the field in the first quarter and 28% in the third, a combined 10 for 41 in those quarters.

“It’s frustrating. I don’t know. I just feel like the worst teams have their best night against us,” said Minnesota’s Al Jefferson, who had a game-high 28 points. “I don’t know if they see us. . . . “

This was after he dealt with the rock-bottom issue and questions about Coach Randy Wittman’s future.

“You feel like we hit rock bottom?” Jefferson said to a reporter. “Or you want me to say it? If you don’t feel it, I don’t feel it. Next question. . . .

“I’ve got one job to lead on this team. I’ve got nothing to do with the management. What I can say is they can do whatever they want to do. . . . You could have Jesus Christ himself come down and coach us, but if we don’t go out there and play hard and play together, it don’t mean nothing.”

Etc.

Chris Kaman’s big presence has been missed on this four-game trip, and Dunleavy was hoping Kaman could return to the lineup later this week, perhaps at Portland on Friday. Kaman has been out because of a strained left arch.

And now for the continuation of the Pacific 10 Conference tour. . . .

One night it was rookie guard O.J. Mayo (formerly of USC) at Memphis and Saturday night it was forward Kevin Love (formerly of UCLA).

There were chants from the Target Center crowd in the fourth quarter (“We want O.J.”) -- but Love had 13 points, 15 rebounds and four turnovers against the Clippers in 33 minutes.

Mayo and Love will always be linked because of the draft-day trade between Memphis and Minnesota. Love has had three double-double performances in his last five games.

“Kevin is a really solid player,” Dunleavy said. “He’s a good shooter from the outside. He’s fundamentally great. He boxes out, rebounds and can pass the ball terrific. He’s going to be a long-term pro.”

Said Love: “I said at the beginning of the season, with me being a rookie that we won 22 games last year, close to the bottom. And the only place we can go is up. But we need a break right now.”

This wouldn’t be a Clippers trip without an odd occurrence. Apparently, one of the toilets in their locker room overflowed before the game.

Said Mark Madsen of the Timberwolves: “Maybe we sabotaged it.”

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com