Clips Trade Richardson

Just a few days after finalizing a trade that sent Zach Randolph to Memphis in exchange for Quentin Richardson, the Clippers sent Richardson to Minnesota for guard Sebastian Telfair and forwards Mark Madsen and Craig Smith. This is the third trade this off-season that has dealt Richardson; he was previously traded to the Grizzlies from New York. Madsen previously played for the Lakers for the first three years of his career.

Clippers Lose To Fourth-Quarter Doldrums

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 87-77, their 60th loss of the season. The Clips shot just .358 from the field, taking 31 3-point tries while only hitting 9 of them. LA had only 6 turnovers, and Minnesota out-rebounded the Clippers 62-34. Entering the fourth quarter trailing only by 11 points, the Clippers scored just 15 points while the Wolves had 14. Eric Gordon led the Clips with 28 points, and Brian Skinner had 16 points and 14 rebounds off the bench. Ryan Gomes led the way for the T-Wolves with 24 points and 13 rebounds, and former Bruin Kevin Love added 13 points and 15 rebounds. LA was without Mardy Collins, Marcus Camby, Ricky Davis, and Al Thornton due to health issues, and Zach Randolph due to his suspension.

Kings Win Wild Game

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-3, and remain 5 points out of a playoff spot. Anze Kopitar had his 23rd goal of the season, and Kyle Quincey had a goal and assist. Jonathan Quick made 21 saves, and Teddy Purcell scored the winning goal for LA. Owen Nolan, Stephane Veilleux, and Eric Belanger each had a goal for the Wild. The Kings swept the season-series with Minnesota 4-0.

Lakers Reach Nifty 50

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-90, becoming the first team in the NBA to reach 50 wins. Every Laker who suited up got to play, including Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison. The T-Wolves shot just %33 from the field, and LA committed just 4 turnovers and had 14 blocked shots. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 23 points, and Pau Gasol had 21 points with 9 rebounds. Josh Powell had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots off the bench. DJ Mbenga had a stellar night, scoring a career-high 10 points to go with 4 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. Ryan Gomes led Minnesota with 20 points, and former UCLA-star Kevin Love had 18 points and 14 rebounds.

Kings Close in on Playoff Spot

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Minnesota Wild 2-1 in a shootout, keeping their playoff hopes alive. After both teams scored in the second period, the game went scoreless and reached the game-winning shootout. The Kings won the shootout 2-1. Jack Johnson scored LA's only regulation goal, as well as a SO goal, and Drew Doughty grabbed the game-winning goal on the Kings' fourth shootout attempt. Jonathan Quick stopped 23 of the Wild's shots from getting inside the net, as well as 3 of 4 SO attempts. Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom made 24 regulation and OT saves, but could only stop 2 of LA's shots in the shootout.

Lakers Escape Minnesota Cold

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 11-108, their 46th win of the season. The Lakers won despite allowing Minnesota to shoot 50%, including 10-for-25 from 3-point range. The T-Wolves committed 20 turnovers, and failed to hold on to slim leads throughout the game. Kobe Bryant scored 28 points to pass Elgin Baylor and take the 20th spot on the all-time scoring list. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom each had 25 points, with Odom grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds. Ryan Gomes and Sebastian Telfair each scored 20 points for the Wolves, and Craig Smith finished with 19 points off the bench.

For Lakers, Offense Is Best Defense

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-119, the most points LA has scored this season. The Lakers had a .505 shooting percentage, and held the T-Wolves to just 4-for 15 from 3-point range. Trevor Ariza was able to play despite having suffered a concussion in Tuesday's loss to Charlotte. Andrew Bynum continues to bulldoze his way through other teams with his fifth-straight double-double, snagging 27 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Kobe Bryant led with 30 points and 5 assists to go with 8 rebounds. Pau Gasol added 21 points and 9 rebounds, and 4 other Lakers scored in double-figures, including all 5 starters (Derek Fisher=10 points, Luke Walton=11, Jordan Farmar=10, Lamar Odom=10). Al Jefferson had 34 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota, and Randy Foye added 27 points. Former UCLA star Kevin Love came off the bench for the Wolves, scoring 14 points and grabbing 9 boards.

Kings Go Wild in Victory

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-2, ending a four-game losing streak. Goalie Jonathan Quick made 25 saves for the Kings, and Kyle Calder had a goal and assist. Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Derek Armstrong, and Patrick O'Sullivan each scored goals. Owen Nolan and Marek Zidlicky each scored goals for the Wild. Niklas Backstrom made 22 saves on 26 shots, and Minnesota was held to just 27 shots. LA scored 3 goals in the second period after being outscored 15-4 during their losing streak.

Clippers Can't Dance With Wolves

The Clippers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-86, their 13th loss in 14 games. The Clips were without Marcus Camby, whose sprained ankle has added him to a long list of injured players. The T-Wolves put up 58 points in the paint against LA, and committed just 8 turnovers that resulted in 6 points. Eric Gordon still looks stellar in his rookie season, scoring 25 points, and Steve Novak came off the bench to score 18. Al Jefferson led the Wolves with 20 points and 17 rebounds, and Craig Smith added 20 points as well.

Lakers Sleep Through Win

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-86, their 20th win of the season. The Lakers continue to play sloppy basketball, with the score at one point being tied 57 all. It was the 8th straight opponent for LA with a losing record, a span in which the Lakers have gone 7-1, but have been incapable of dominating each time. Kobe Bryant led LA with 26 points, and Pau Gasol scored 18 points with 11 rebounds. Trevor Ariza came off the bench with 14 points. Al Jefferson led the T-Wolves with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Kings Go Wild in Win

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-1, moving above .500 with a record of 13-12-4. LA took 43 shots, and goalie Erik Ersberg made 33 saves. Anze Kopitar and Michal Handzus both scored power-play goals to give the Kings the win.

Colletti Has His Hands Full in Vegas

The MLB Winter Meetings in Las Vegas are approaching, meaning all 30 GMs and too many agents to count will be talking in the Bellagio Hotel, negotiating and settling on deals for various players. This is where Dodgers GM Ned Colletti will make many key decisions, having to fill 14 empty roster spots created by free agency. Derek Lowe and Brad Penny are both essentially lost, meaning there could be as many as 3 empty spots in the rotation, coupling with Greg Maddux's retirement. Talks continue with Manny Ramirez and 3B Casey Blake, both of which look optimistic considering no offers have been made to Manny, and the Twins and Indians are both reported to have dropped out of talks with Blake. The situation with Rafael Furcal is the most confusing, as both he and LA have shown little interest in one another, but shortstop holes are being filled up quickly, not to mention his rejection of Oakland's initial offer. The Dodgers have shown a varying degree of interest in free-agent pitchers CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Randy Johnson, and Trevor Hoffman, as well as trades with the Pirates concerning SS Jack Wilson. Colletti himself has made just two offers all postseason: the 2-year contract to Manny Ramirez, and the 3 offers of arbitration to Manny, Blake, and Lowe. The arbitration, however, was done solely to get draft picks from teams who would sign the three if they all reject the Dodgers' offers. Trade talks with the Padres concerning Jake Peavy have ceased apparently, not just with Los Angeles, but nearly every other team that has shown interest in him, other than the Cubs.

Clippers Find Worthy Foe in T-Wolves

The Los Angeles Clippers ended their three-game losing streak by defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-84. The Clips blocked 11 of Minnesota's shots, and were .469 from inside the arch. Baron Davis had 27 points and 9 assists, while Zach Randolph scored 21 for LA, and Marcus Camby added 12 points, 19 boards, and 7 blocks. Former Bruin Kevin Love had 13 points and 15 rebounds for the T-Wolves.