Gordon praises Love’s progress

The Clippers’ Eric Gordon and the Timberwolves’ Kevin Love, formerly of UCLA, played against each other for the third time in their brief NBA careers.

Minnesota won two of those games, including Tuesday night at Staples Center, and Gordon detected a big difference in Love’s game from the first time they met in the NBA.

That was in December, at Minneapolis, and Timberwolves Coach Randy Wittman was fired two days after they lost to the Clippers.

Love has developed well under the guidance of Coach Kevin McHale.

“I’ve known him for a long time, and it looks like he’s adjusted a lot better,” Gordon said Tuesday in the Clippers locker room after the loss to Minnesota.

“I remember playing him earlier in the season and he was just trying to find his niche. He’s been really aggressive, especially on the rebounding end. I think he had 15 rebounds. He was going after each rebound. That’s what makes him a really tough player.”

Injury update

Forward Al Thornton, out because of a sprained right shoulder, was scheduled to have an MRI test Wednesday but instead will have it done today, according to the Clippers.

The injury-riddled Thornton said Tuesday that he was probably done for the rest of the season. The Clippers have four games remaining, three of them at home.

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com