Backup unit works well in the stretch

There are lineups, sometimes, that will make you smile.

Or, in this case, make you wonder what the heck is going to happen next.

Would someone dunk, turn the ball over or get a technical foul?

With Saturday night’s game at Minnesota firmly in their control, these were the Clippers on the court at one point in the fourth quarter: DeAndre Jordan, Steve Novak, Paul Davis, Jason Hart and Mike Taylor.

(This didn’t account for reserve Mardy Collins’ significant playing time in which he had a season-high 14 points in 27 minutes.)

“We had a good effort for 48 minutes, well, most of the game,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “The last group came in, gave away a little bit of lead, got their composure back and did what we needed to do.”

That’s when the Timberwolves went on a spirited 7-0 run, culminating in a Rodney Carney dunk, and Dunleavy called a timeout to calm some of the excitable kids late in the game.

What did Dunleavy say during the timeout?

“Don’t play the score. Keep your composure. You know what you’re supposed to do: Use clock, use your spacing,” he said. “You can create easy shots for each other. Don’t try to be too quick.”

The bench, led by Collins, accounted for 31 points, a big contrast to games at Memphis (six points) and Dallas (seven points).

“The bench came up and gave us a nice spark, and we just kept it going,” Baron Davis said. “That’s what we need in order to be a tough team. We’re a good team, a talented team, but we haven’t been able to close out, so now we basically have to have that energy and sustain it.”

Even misdirected energy from the kids. Davis was asked what he tells them after these scattered moments on the court.

“Just be patient. Be patient with the game,” he said. “They’ve got to understand every opportunity out there is a moment to get better.”

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com