CASPER
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LOS ANGELES – Eric Gordon scored a season-high 36 points, Blake Griffin added 22 points and 10 rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers handed the Minnesota Timberwolves their sixth straight loss with a 113-90 victory Monday night.
Coming off their first back-to-back victories on the same road trip since Feb. 6-7, 2009, the Clippers snapped a three-game home losing streak. Brian Cook missed his second consecutive game because of a sprained right ankle and Craig Smith was scratched due to back spasms, keeping center Chris Kaman company behind the bench.
It was the Clippers' first game at Staples Center since the revelation about owner Donald Sterling's frequent courtside heckling and taunting of point guard Baron Davis during games, which was reported by Yahoo! Sports early last week. Davis had eight points and a season-high 12 assists, three of them on loud alley-oop dunks by Griffin.
Michael Beasley scored 20 points and Kevin Love added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who completed a six-game trip with their 12th straight road loss — matching their longest drought of last season. It was the sixth trip of six or more games in the franchise's 22-year history, and the second that didn't produce a win. The other was a six-gamer in March 2006 that included a loss to the Clippers.
The Timberwolves have won only one of their last 30 road games, 98-89 against Sacramento on Nov. 10.
Griffin, who tied a career best with seven assists, recorded his 15th straight double-double and 22nd this season. Love had his NBA-leading 24th double-double and 15th in a row — the first with fewer than 14 rebounds.
The Clippers, who averaged 109.3 points in their previous three meetings with the Timberwolves, led 68-58 at halftime after shooting 53 percent from the field and committing just three turnovers. Gordon led the way with 21 points, as Los Angeles ended the second quarter on a 14-5 run.
Gordon, who converted five of seven 3-point attempts, hit one that increased the margin to 91-71 with 3:12 left in the third quarter and Minnesota got no closer than 15 the rest of the way. The Timberwolves, who came in averaging a league-best 45.8 rebounds, lost the battle of the boards 56-33.