Warriors' Short-Handed Struggles Highlight Tough Loss to Timberwolves
The Golden State Warriors walked into Minnesota with a roster that barely resembled their usual rotation. Eight players were ruled out before tipoff, including Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and other key veterans, leaving Steve Kerr to piece together a lineup on the fly.
The result? A 108-83 blowout loss to the Timberwolves that underscored just how thin the margin for error is when you're missing your stars.
Golden State was coming off a rescheduled game the night before, making it an unexpected back-to-back. The timing couldn’t have been worse. While the Timberwolves were missing Anthony Edwards, they still had enough firepower - and more importantly, enough size and defense - to make life miserable for a depleted Warriors squad.
From the opening tip, it was clear Golden State was fighting uphill. Offensively, this was one of their roughest outings in recent memory.
They shot just 9-of-39 from beyond the arc and turned the ball over 19 times. That’s a tough combo to overcome, no matter who’s on the floor.
Kerr: “Not Going to Get It Done”
After the game, Steve Kerr didn’t sugarcoat it.
“I felt like we had a chance going in, but we were going to have to make some shots and take care of the ball,” Kerr said. “9-for-39 from three and 19 turnovers is not going to get it done.”
It wasn’t just the Warriors’ cold shooting that hurt them - it was the presence of Rudy Gobert. The Timberwolves’ big man was a one-man wall in the paint, altering shots, shutting down lanes, and recovering quickly to contest on the perimeter.
“He was great,” Kerr said of Gobert. “We were trying to put him in pick-and-roll in the first half and pick-and-pop stuff with Quinten (Post) to pull him away from the hoop, but he’s one of the best defenders in the league for a reason. He covered the paint, was able to get back out to Quinten, and really clogged things up.”
Golden State tried to stretch the floor, but Gobert’s ability to cover ground and anchor the defense was a major factor in keeping the Warriors off rhythm all night.
Injury Update: Help Could Be on the Way
If there’s a silver lining for Golden State, it’s that reinforcements may be coming soon. Kerr gave an optimistic update postgame, noting that De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford are expected back shortly, and there’s hope that Steph Curry and Draymond Green could return as early as Wednesday.
“Melton and Horford for sure,” Kerr said. “Hopefully Steph and Draymond too.
Leaving them out tonight was because they’re banged up. The knee for Steph has been nagging him, so hopefully getting today off and tomorrow off, he’ll be ready to go.”
That’s a crucial boost for a team trying to stay afloat in a tightly packed Western Conference.
The Road Ahead: No Time to Breathe
At 26-22, the Warriors currently sit eighth in the West - just 2.5 games back of Minnesota for the sixth seed and four games behind Houston for the fourth. But with seven games left before the All-Star break, the schedule isn’t doing them any favors.
Next up is a road matchup with the Jazz, followed by a return home to face two tough Eastern Conference opponents: the East-leading Detroit Pistons and the 24-21 Philadelphia 76ers. That Sixers game in particular has some emotional weight, as the Warriors will be looking to avenge a tough loss from December.
After that, it’s back on the road for a mini West Coast gauntlet: the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. Both of those matchups figure to be intense, with playoff implications already starting to simmer.
Golden State closes out the first half of the season with two home games against the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs - teams lower in the standings, but not to be taken lightly, especially given the Warriors’ current injury concerns.
Bottom Line
The loss to Minnesota was a tough one, but context matters. With so many key pieces unavailable and facing a defense as stout as the Timberwolves’, the Warriors were always going to be in survival mode. What matters now is how quickly they can get healthy - and how they respond over the next seven games.
Because in a Western Conference this tight, every game counts.