Same Old Story for Clippers

Before multitalented forward Kevin Garnett entered the league straight out of high school in 1995, the Clippers owned the Minnesota Timberwolves.

But after winning 20 of the first 29 games between the teams, the Clippers have discovered the difference Garnett makes.

Garnett, younger than 11 players on the Clippers’ roster and the same age as one, has helped transform the Timberwolves into a playoff team and Thursday night he gave the Clippers a heavy dose of his skills in a 112-90 victory before an announced crowd of 15,317 at Staples Center.

Garnett, who turns 24 next month, hurt the Clippers with 28 points, six rebounds and seven assists. He made seven of eight shots to help Minnesota to a 14-point halftime lead and then missed only four shots in the second half as the Timberwolves pulled away to improve their all-time record against the Clippers to 21-23 (winning 12 of the last 15 meetings).

“It’s hard to match up with K.G. because he’s taller than [most forwards],� Clipper power forward Maurice Taylor said. “You try to stay in front of him and contest his shot, but sometimes it is all for naught because he is so tall and lanky and he’ll shoot right over you.

“He brings everything to the table. Everything you want out of a basketball player, he brings it.�

Joining Garnett in the Timberwolves’ methodical destruction of the Clippers was rookie small forward Wally Szczerbiak, who outplayed fellow rookie Lamar Odom. Szczerbiak finished with 23 points on 11-of-16 field-goal shooting. Odom, who did not start but played 26 minutes, had 11 points on two-of-seven shooting from the field and added seven rebounds.

But Odom was not the only Clipper who struggled. Other than Taylor and Odom, Eric Piatkowski was the only other player to score more than nine points for the Clippers, who were outrebounded, 45-31.

The Timberwolves, who lost at home to the Clippers in November, started strong Thursday as they shot 56% from the floor and took a 10-point lead after one quarter. Garnett, who scored nine points in the opening period, continued to push his teammates in the second with Szczerbiak making five of six shots from the field.

It got so bad for the Clippers that after one of their numerous 24-second shot-clock violations this season, interim Coach Jim Todd slammed his clipboard down so hard, it bounced over the team bench into the crowd.

“We didn’t have any energy from the tip,� Todd said. “Tonight’s game was not in the characteristic of the way we’ve been playing. We may have been losing a lot of games, but we were usually in ball games.�

Minnesota made sure the Clippers didn’t mount a second-half comeback with several quick baskets to open the third quarter from within point-blank range of the rim.

Garnett and Szczerbiak combined to make eight of 12 shots from the floor and scored 17 of Minnesota’s 25 points as the Timberwolves took a commanding 86-61 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Clippers, completing a 0-5 homestand, were led by Taylor, who finished with 23 points and six rebounds.