Clippers find out two isn’t enough

MINNEAPOLIS -- Corey Maggette and Tim Thomas were on their game but got little help from their teammates Monday night as the Clippers ended a five-game trip with their fourth straight loss, a 99-90 defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Maggette had a game-high 34 points and Thomas added 22.

But they got little support, especially with center Chris Kaman missing his fifth straight game because of a lower back injury. Cuttino Mobley scored 10 points, making three of 15 shots, and the Clippers’ reserves were five for 17 from the field, getting outscored, 31-10.

Clippers rookie Al Thornton, who scored 18 points when the teams met nine days earlier but was playing despite a thigh contusion suffered Saturday, had four points.

“We knew who their big two were, so we just tried to give whoever was guarding them as much help as possible and make the other guys take shots,” said Minnesota guard Randy Foye, who had seven defensive rebounds.

Al Jefferson led Minnesota with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

“The other thing too is Jefferson not having to guard anyone in the low post and potentially getting in foul trouble,” Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “But, hey it’s a part of it. Thornton tried to play for us tonight, but he couldn’t really elevate, couldn’t do much. We need him to just give it a try for us to even give us a chance.”

After an evenly played first half, a tip by Jefferson gave Minnesota a nine-point lead with 2:50 to play in the third, before six points by Maggette helped the Clippers cut the deficit to two at quarter’s end.

But Minnesota took over with a 13-4 run early in the fourth quarter for an 81-70 lead. Craig Smith had three quick points to open the period, Rashad McCants made a three-point basket and a long jumper before Kirk Snyder made two long-range shots.

A three-point shot by Maggette pulled the Clippers to within 95-88 with 2:33 left, but the Clippers could get no closer.

“They started to make some shots down at the end. Al Jefferson started to make some plays at the end, and create, and Rashad McCants made some big plays for their team,” Maggette said. “They just kept chipping away. We made a basket, they hit a three. We missed, they hit a three. It just put us in those situations.”

Maggette, who also scored 34 points Saturday in Washington, has scored at least 30 points seven times this year. This was the second time in six weeks, and fifth time in his career, that Maggette had back-to-back games with 30-plus.

McCants scored 16 points, Snyder 14 and Smith 11 for the Timberwolves.

Minnesota (16-50) won for the fourth time in its last six games and moved past Seattle (16-51) into fourth in the Northwest Division.