=== Clippers keep rolling, beat T-Wolves ===
 
 Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Blake Griffin recorded a double-double with
 26  points  and 13  rebounds to  help the  Los Angeles  Clippers take down the
 Minnesota Timberwolves, 96-90, at Target Center.
 
 Caron  Butler added  19  points,  Jamal Crawford  chipped  in  17 points,  and
 DeAndre  Jordan donated 16 points and 12 boards for the Clippers, who have won
 two straight on the heels of a four-game skid.
 
 "Good  team win for us," Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We have to
 do  a  better job  of making the  game easier with  ball movement, making some
 shots  and being a  little more consistent defensively, but it's a good way to
 start the trip."
 
 Chris  Paul  missed his fifth straight  game with a bruised right kneecap, but
 Eric Bledsoe filled in admirably, finishing with 10 points, 10 assists and six
 steals in the triumph.
 
 Nikola  Pekovic posted  a double-double in his return from a six-game absence,
 pouring  in  17 points and grabbing  12 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves, who
 have lost five straight and 10 of their last 11.
 
 The  Clippers  entered the fourth  clinging to a  76-71 edge, and after Alexey
 Shved  opened  the final frame with  a 3-pointer, Crawford countered with four
 straight points to push the margin to six.
 
 Minnesota  quickly  answered, as J.J.  Barea capped a  6-0 surge with a three-
 point play to knot the game at 80-80 with just under seven minutes left.
 
 The  teams exchanged  buckets from there before a Pekovic layup gave Minnesota
 an 88-87 lead with three minutes remaining.
 
 Butler  buried a triple at the other end to put the Clippers back in front and
 the  Timberwolves never  recovered,  as  they missed  their  next four  shots,
 including a potential game-tying trey from Andrei Kirilenko with 1:32 to play.
 
 Los  Angeles  came up  with a  pair of  big offensive  rebounds on its ensuing
 possession before Griffin banked in a tough turnaround in the lane and knocked
 down the ensuing free throw to make it 94-88 with 30.1 ticks remaining.
 
 Ricky  Rubio then missed  a jumper at the other end and the Clippers connected
 on 2-of-4 free throws to hang on for the victory.
 
 "That's our problem in big games," Kirilenko said of his team's struggles down
 the  stretch. "We play for 35 minutes of great basketball and we just couldn't
 finish the game. It's frustrating."
 
 Early  on,  Minnesota led 25-23  after 12 minutes and  opened the second on an
 11-2  surge to  take a  double-digit advantage,  but the  Clippers closed  the
 quarter on an 18-4 burst to take a 52-48 lead into the locker room.
 
 A  Jordan layup pushed the lead to 64-53 just over four minutes into the third
 before  the Wolves  clawed their way back  with a 9-0 sprint capped by Rubio's
 driving layup with 5:18 left to make it a two-point contest.
 
 The  teams exchanged  buckets from there until the Clippers closed the quarter
 on a quick 6-3 swing to take a 76-71 lead heading into the final frame.
 
 
                                   Game Notes
 
 Pekovic  was out  with a right thigh  contusion ... Los Angeles had lost three
 straight on the road ... Minnesota is still without forward Kevin Love (hand),
 guard  Brandon  Roy (knee), and forward  Chase Budinger (knee) ... Los Angeles
 outscored Minnesota 23-13 in second-chance points.
 
 
 01/30 23:38:23 ET

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