MINNEAPOLIS — Chippy, tense, physical, sticky – everything you might expect from an NBA play-in game, apparently.

The Clippers’ first stab at the play-in – and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ first taste of post-regular-season competition since 2004-05 – pitted the teams in a 7-vs.-8 play-in game that felt a lot like a playoff game.

Patrick Beverley, for four seasons a beloved member of the Clippers, flexed and crowed and shed a few tears after he set the tenor on Tuesday night, when his Minnesota Timberwolves got their bearings before pushing past their guests for a 109-104 victory at the Target Center.

By winning the pre-playoff test, Minnesota (46-36 in the regular season) advances to the Western Conference playoffs and will face the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in a best-of-seven first-round series that will begin Saturday. The Clippers get a second chance to advance on Friday night when they host either New Orleans or San Antonio to gain entry into the playoffs – against top-seeded Phoenix.

Tuesday’s affair was, from the start, tense and intense, with players – and one woman – finding reasons to protest.

The woman – promptly nicknamed “glue girl” by Twitter users – was attempting, apparently, to make a point about animal cruelty by appearing to glue her hand to the hardwood beneath the Clippers’ basket.

Otherwise, the game’s participants complained (about as effectively) about the proliferation of foul calls: By halftime, the Wolves had been called for 17 fouls, the Clippers for 12.

Beverley was assessed his third foul with 2:32 left in the first quarter and the Clippers leading 17-13. Karl-Anthony Towns picked up his fourth foul with 3:48 left before halftime, by which time he had only two points and had missed all of his seven shots.

But even so, the Timberwolves led at halftime, 53-51. Fifteen first-half points apiece from Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell (who scored 14 points in the second quarter, including the last seven for his team).

The Clippers (42-40 in an injury-ravaged regular season) finished the half mired in one of their patented lulls, scoring just one basket in the final 7:21 of the second quarter. They were outscored 15-6 in the 3:34 after the glue incident.

The intensity picked up further after halftime, when Beverley tangled with Ivica Zubac and Marcus Morris Sr. – including almost drawing a second technical foul on Morris, a whistle that Ed Malloy quickly took back, sending the play in for a review (Beverley was called for a hostile act for slapping Morris’ hand as the lined up for a jump ball).

Both benches – and Alex Rodriguez, the Wolves’ part-owner, stationed courtside – remained on their feet, willing their teammates on as they exchanged shots throughout the third.

There were five lead changes and seven ties before the Clippers began to create some separation in the quarter. Clippers All-Star Paul George had a big hand in that with 17 third-period points on 5-for-8 shooting, including 3 for 5 from deep in 11:45 of action.

Terance Mann – last season’s Clippers playoff hero – got going in the fourth quarter, blocking a pair of shots and attacking a seam for a slam that pushed the Clippers’ lead to 90-83 and forced a Timberwolves timeout with 9:27 to play.

The Clippers’ 95-90 lead was erased by buckets from Edwards, Naz Reid and a 3-pointer from Russell that put Minnesota ahead, 97-95, with 4:40 left.

After a Clippers timeout, Beverley stole the ball from Reggie Jackson – and Edwards took flight for a dunk that extended Minnesota’s lead to four points with 4:02 to go and got the 17,136 fans at the Target Center rocking – and then chanting “Beat L.A.”

Russell’s sixth 3-pointer gave the Wolves their biggest lead, 104-98.

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George swished a timely 3-pointer with 1:24 on the clock that cut the lead to 104-101.

But Edwards isolated with Morris on him, drove down the lane and into Zubac, drawing the foul. He made both free throws and Minnesota led 106-101 with 38 seconds left, and the Wolves held on after that.

George finished with 34 points, Jackson had 17, Norman Powell added 16 and Morris finished with 12 in the loss.

Towns finished with 11 points on 3-for-11 shooting in 24 minutes, but Edwards had 30 points and Russell finished with 29. Malik Beasley hit three big 3-pointers en route to 12 points.

Beverley came up with seven points, 11 rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot – and some postgame hugs from his former teammates, despite the result and the aggravation.

More to come on this story.