NBA: Ayo Dosunmu glad to join Timberwolves, who face reloading Clippers

Ayo Dosunmu is getting his wish to play in the playoffs this season. The former Chicago Bulls guard will make his debut with the Minnesota Timberwolves when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.

Dosunmu arrived in Minnesota on Friday but did not play in the Timberwolves’ game that night against the New Orleans Pelicans as he acclimated to his new city and team. He is expected to be a key part of Minnesota’s rotation starting Sunday.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” Dosunmu said. “I’m excited to be here with the Timberwolves’ playoff team. There are a lot of great guys on the team, great coaching staff, great management. I’m just excited to help get over that hump, whatever it takes to help win.”

The Timberwolves are coming off a 119-115 home loss to the Pelicans, a defeat that left the locker room frustrated. Rudy Gobert publicly called out unnamed teammates for a lack of defensive effort.

“Just no effort,” Gobert said. “We’ve seen that many, many times this year, the last few years since I’ve been here. We always know it’s coming. When it comes, there’s no sense of urgency, no accountability. So I think at some point, if the players don’t have accountability, someone has to have accountability for the players.”

Gobert added that if the players can’t police themselves, the responsibility falls to the coaching staff.

“It should start with ourselves, but it seems like we don’t have that, so I think at some point from the coaches, yeah,” Gobert said. “It’s not an easy position for a coach to take guys out of the game. It’s not something you want to do, but I think if the players don’t show any effort, at some point, no matter how talented we are as a team, if you don’t have that, you just can’t be a winning team.”

The Timberwolves’ next chance for a high-effort performance comes against a Clippers team that has undergone major changes. Los Angeles traded key veterans including James Harden and Ivica Zubac before the trade deadline, while new acquisition Darius Garland remains sidelined with a toe injury.

Despite the roster shifts, the Clippers held on for a 114-111 road victory over the Sacramento Kings in their most recent game. Kawhi Leonard led the way with 31 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, and is expected to take a leadership role again Sunday.

“(I’m) just staying aggressive,” Leonard said. “Trying to get wins, that’s it. I’d trade it all for more wins.”

This will be the second of four regular-season meetings between the Timberwolves and Clippers. Minnesota won the first matchup 109-106 on Dec. 6, led by Jaden McDaniels’ 27 points on 10-for-13 shooting.

-Field Level Media/Reuters