After the final buzzer, Timberwolves forward Naz Reid approached Bennedict Mathurin, who was holding the game ball, and attempted to take it from him, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Mathurin objected, and the confrontation quickly escalated as teammates from both sides stepped in to separate the players.
The situation intensified as Clippers rookie Sean Pedulla moved to retrieve the game ball after scoring his first career NBA points in the game. Security personnel eventually intervened, and both teams were directed back to their locker rooms.
Despite the 25-point defeat, Minnesota players appeared eager to secure the ball—possibly for rookie Rocco Zikarsky, who also scored on the road for the first time. Zikarsky finished the game with two points, three rebounds and one block on 1-of-1 shooting.
Pedulla ended the night with six points, one rebound and three assists, shooting 50% from the field and from three-point range (2-of-4).
Another angle showed the Clippers’ star player, Kawhi Leonard, did not involve himself in the scuffle and remained busy speaking to the Wolves’ Mike Conley after the buzzer.
Mathurin was the second-highest scorer for the Clippers tonight and had 22 points, three assists, and two rebounds while going 5-10 from the field (50.0 FG%).
But it was Kawhi Leonard who led the Clippers to this emphatic win with his 45 points, five rebounds, and five assists in tonight’s win. Leonard shot 15-20 from the floor (75.0 FG) and 6-9 from beyond the arc (66.6 3P%).
The Clippers have improved to 33-32 following tonight’s win over the Timberwolves. They will now host the Bulls on Friday, March 13, at the Intuit Dome.
It will be interesting to see if the Clippers can keep this fire burning and keep up the momentum going into arguably the most crucial phase of the regular season: the last games that are crucial in determining the playoff seeds.
