The Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly had a good laugh while mocking the ages of the Los Angeles Clippers’ players after defeating them on Monday.
“Following the game, a trio of Minnesota players and a few other members of the traveling party could be heard in the back hallways of Crypto.com Arena loudly singing together as laughs bellowed out from the group,” wrote Justin Russo.
“‘Them [expletives] sorry,’ one player could be heard loudly saying. ‘Them [expletives] old as hell.'”
The Timberwolves captured the matchup of two of the top teams in the Western Conference with a 121-100 road victory. Minnesota outscored Los Angeles 40-19 in the third quarter and by 25 points in the second half.
After starting the season with an 8-10 record, the Clippers have been one of the best teams in the NBA for a long stretch. They have won 27 of their past 34 games and hold a 35-17 record.
The Clippers have been boosted by the addition of 34-year-old veteran James Harden in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers that was made early in the season. Fellow veterans Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook are some of the Clippers’ other top players.
The Timberwolves stormed out to a 20-5 start this season but are just 17-11 since then and fashion a 37-16 overall mark. They are being led by one of the best young players in the league, 22-year-old Anthony Edwards. Another top player for Minnesota is Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Timberwolves and Clippers are part of a tight four-team race at the top of the Western Conference, sitting in first place and third place, respectively, entering play Tuesday. The Oklahoma City Thunder are in second place, and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets are in fourth place.
Neither the Timberwolves nor the Clippers have ever made it as far as the NBA Finals. Minnesota has made it out of the first round just once, going on a solid run to reach the 2004 Western Conference Finals. Los Angeles reached the 2021 Western Conference Finals in its first season under current head coach Tyronn Lue.
The somewhat unkind words uttered by the Timberwolves about the Clippers could add some heat to what could become an important growing rivalry this season. The teams meet again in early March at Minnesota and again soon after at Los Angeles.
A high-stakes playoff matchup then could be in the cards if the two squads continue to win.
