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The Day After | Wolves vs. Lakers Quick Hits

Dane MizutaniWeb Editorial AssociateEmail / Twitter

It was clearly a foul. In a scramble for the rebound in the final seconds of the game against the Lakers, rookie Zach LaVine shoved fellow rookie Jordan Clarkson to the floor. Though that last-second heave probably doesn’t go down, that foul sent Clarkson to the free throw line and he calmly knocked down the shots to lift the Lakers to a 101-99 overtime win over the Wolves on Wednesday night at Target Center. A somber locker room after the game was understandable. Minnesota had clawed back from a 13-point deficit to send the game into an extra session only to lose because of an unfortunate whistle. Wolves players must have a short memory as they play a game against the Houston Rockets on Friday night. Here are some further observations from the game against Los Angeles.

BUDINGER STAYS BALLIN'

We sound like a broken record talking about Chase Budinger. Budinger, however, has earned the praise with the way he’s played over the last couple weeks. He poured in another strong effort in the loss to the Lakers with 22 points in 40 minutes of work. Budinger also nailed the clutch three-pointer that sent the game into overtime. He’s dealt with his fair share of injuries over the last two seasons so it’s been nice to see Budinger approach his old level of production. He said last night that he’s feeling more confident right now than he has at any point in the last couple seasons — and it’s showing. Minnesota will likely remain shorthanded for the rest of the season so Budinger will continue to get a lot of run. It doesn’t look like his production is going to drop anytime in the near future.

GETTING TO THE LINE

Andrew Wiggins had an efficient game against the Lakers shooting 8-for-16 from the floor. That, however, wasn’t his most impressive shooting display of the night. Wiggins was 10-for-11 from the free throw line in the contest — a great sign moving forward. When looking at the best players in the NBA those players get to the charity stripe at will. While it’s still very early in his career, the fact that Wiggins has shown the propensity to get to the free throw line bodes well for his future. It means he’s being aggressive. He’s also going to continue to get more calls as he develops into a household name throughout the NBA. Wiggins gets his fair share of calls right now. He also gets his fair share of no calls. That will change in the coming years and his numbers at the free throw line will undoubtedly spike.

THE BOUNCE BROTHERS

These guys have to be getting a little tired. Wiggins played 49 minutes last night. LaVine played 48 minutes. Those insane totals came a couple days after 49 minutes for Wiggins and 46 minutes for LaVine in the win over the Utah Jazz. Wiggins said after the loss to the Lakers that his body feels fine. He’s 20 years old so that’s not too surprising. That said the conclusion of the season will likely come as a welcomed rest to Wiggins and LaVine.

CLUTCH PLAY FROM CLARKSON

As clutch as Chase Budinger was for the Wolves, Jordan Clarkson was even more clutch for the Lakers. Clarkson singlehandedly lifted his team to a win with his play in overtime. He nailed a pair of free throws to tie the game 97-97 after Wolves took the lead in the extra session. He then put his team in front 99-97 with a driving layup about 30 seconds later. he punctuated his night was a pair of free throws with 0.3 seconds left to lift the Lakers to a 101-99 win. Clarkson has been a pleasant surprise for Los Angeles this season. He was the No. 46 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and has grown into a valuable player on an extremely depleted Lakers roster. Clarkson is averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists this season. While it’s unclear whether he’s a part of the long-term plans in Los Angeles, he’s proven that he can definitely compete at the NBA level.