brought in to put his stamp on

LOS ANGELES -- The Clippers gave up 96 shots to Minnesota. Lucky for them, the Timberwolves last three didnt go in. Blake Griffin had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Chris Paul added 21 points and the Clippers hung on for a 109-107 victory on Monday night after Kevin Love missed a tip-in at the buzzer. "We got fortunate at the end," Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers said. "It was a point-blank tip." With 3 seconds left, Kevin Martin missed a jumper that Nikola Pekovic rebounded, only to miss the layup. Love grabbed the ball and missed again to end the Wolves two-game winning streak. "My natural instinct was to try to rush it and get it up there, but it sat on the rim and came right off. I would say 99 times out of a hundred times that goes in," Love said. "I could have dunked it, but I thought I just had to touch it real quick because time was running out." Paul had 11 assists, Jamal Crawford scored 18 points and DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 11 rebounds to help the Clippers improve to 3-0 at home with Oklahoma City headed to Staples Center on Wednesday. "This year is one of the most competitive years Ive seen for a while," Clippers backup centre Ryan Hollins said. "Every single night youre playing a big matchup. Minnesota didnt even make the playoffs last year, and theyre just as good as anybody in the league right now." Martin scored 30 points for the Wolves, who lost their sixth straight against the Clippers. Pekovic added 25 points, and Love had 23 points and 19 rebounds. They ended a 22-game series losing streak against the Lakers on Sunday, and nearly stopped their skid against Staples Centers other NBA team. "Our guys believed they could get back in it," Wolves coach Rick Adelman said. "They made the right plays defensively and converted at the other end. Thats the way you have to play if youre going to try to win. In this league, you have to give yourselves a chance to win in the fourth quarter, and we were there." Los Angeles opened the fourth with a 14-7 run to build a 98-87 lead, its first by double digits since the second quarter. Crawford scored eight points. Jordan missed all five of his free throws in the period, clanking his last two off the front of the rim while the Wolves got within six. Minnesota cut its deficit to 101-99 on a fast-break dunk by Martin off Pauls turnover. Martin hit a 3-pointer on the previous possession. The Clippers scored six in a row to go up 107-99 before the Wolves answered with six straight to trail 107-105. Griffin got fouled and made both for a 109-107 lead. Corey Brewer missed a 3-pointer in the left corner, but Pekovic was alone under the basket, grabbed the rebound and put it in to keep the Wolves within two with 28 seconds left. "Were a very good team when we are fighting back and this was another great learning experience for us," Love said. The teams played a back-and-forth third, with neither leading by more than six points. Ricky Rubios 3-pointer put the Wolves ahead 76-74 before the Clippers closed on an 11-4 run to lead 85-80. Crawford tossed up a 3-pointer from 15 feet behind the midcourt line that banked in at the buzzer, enlivening the crowd. "We only won by two points so it came in handy," he said. The Clippers used a 19-5 run, including 10 in a row, with six different players scoring to go up 53-42 in the second quarter. Pekovic keyed a 16-6 spurt with nine points to send the Wolves into halftime trailing 59-58. Notes: Paul missed a free throw, going 7 of 8 to end his streak of converting 37 in a row. ... Barnes played with a right thigh contusion. ... Wolves rookie Shabazz Muhammad, who left UCLA after one year, sat after playing 2:47 against the Lakers in his return to Los Angeles. ... Paul has at least 10 assists in all eight games this season. ... The Clippers swept the Wolves in four games last season. Trumaine Johnson Jets Jersey .Y. -- That hangover from the Big East tournament is gone for Villanova. Trenton Cannon Jersey . -- The Orlando Magic finally are showing the patience in critical moments that coach Jacque Vaughn has been waiting for all season. http://www.shopnyjets.us/nathan-shepherd-jersey/. On Thursday theyll learn even more. Despite the cloud of uncertainty that has followed them around from the moment general manager Masai Ujiri was brought in to put his stamp on the franchise, the Raptors have surpassed all pre-season expectations. Custom New York Jets Jerseys . - Novak Djokovic beat John Isner 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-1 on Saturday to reach the final of the BNP Paribas Open, where hell resume his longtime rivalry with Roger Federer. Joe Namath Jersey . The traditional pre-Masters event was halted early due to inclement weather. Harrington, who tied for first in 2003 and won in 2004, became the first three-time champion of the event.New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending May 11. Encarnacion tied for the major league lead in home runs (fourr) and RBI (10) while batting .dddddddddddd321 in seven games last week. Other players in consideration for the honor were Detroits Miguel Cabrera, Seattles Dustin Ackley and Clevelands Michael Brantley. Wholesale NFL T-shirts Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping NFL Jerseys Wholesale China NFL Gear Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Cheap NFL Hoodies Camo China NFL Jerseys ' ' '

Weitere Artikel der Kategorie Allgemein

• Daniel Alfredsson may not have been the most vocal captain, but his teammates say his actions spoke volumes.
• Zuchtgemeinschaft gesucht!
• rust in his short game.
• . Riders defensive back Dwight
• a right-footed volley from 25