The Golden State Warriors gave themselves plenty of chances to make life difficult, but they still found a way to close out the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-114. Stephen Curry drove the night with 44 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Golden State’s edge on the glass and at the foul line carried the rest of the load.
Curry was the headliner from start to finish. He shot 11-27 from the field, hit six 3-pointers and didn’t waste a trip to the stripe, going 16-for-16 on free throws.
Even with the shot volume, he kept the offense moving and finished with more than a third of the Warriors’ total points. He did it while turning the ball over only twice in 32 minutes.
Golden State also needed a second scorer to keep Minnesota from loading up on Curry, and Yaxel Lendeborg answered that call. He finished with 26 points and nine rebounds on 11-20 shooting, adding two 3-pointers, a steal and a block in 35 minutes. With Draymond Green scoring just three points, Georges Niang putting up seven and Brandin Podziemski finishing with eight, Lendeborg’s production gave the Warriors another dependable scoring lane.
That top-end scoring mattered because Minnesota had its own offensive punch. The Timberwolves put four players at 17 points or better, including 20 from Jonathan Kuminga and 19 from Jaden McDaniels. Still, Curry and Lendeborg combined for 70 points, and that kind of two-man output was enough to withstand the push.
The Warriors also won a bruising battle on the boards. They finished with 53 rebounds to Minnesota’s 42, including a 13-7 edge on offensive rebounds.
That helped Golden State make up for shooting just 11-for-35 from three. Green and Lendeborg each grabbed nine rebounds, Curry added eight, and Al Horford chipped in five in 18 minutes.
Charles Bassey also added two rebounds in limited action.
Golden State used those extra chances to control the interior, outscoring Minnesota 54-46 in the paint and blocking five shots to the Timberwolves’ two. Minnesota actually had more assists, 31-25, and hit four more threes, but the Warriors did enough on the physical end to keep the game tilted their way.
Free throws ended up being the final separator. Golden State made 30 of 37 at the line, while Minnesota went 19-for-27.
That 11-point edge from the stripe loomed large in a game decided by five. Curry supplied 16 of those makes by himself, Podziemski added four and Brandon Williams hit three.
The foul count told the same story. Minnesota was whistled for 29 fouls, compared with 24 for Golden State, and that steady stream of trips to the line gave the Warriors breathing room when the Timberwolves started to close the gap.
Golden State didn’t protect the ball cleanly, finishing with 17 turnovers, and Minnesota had the better numbers in assists, steals and 3-pointers. But the Warriors made enough of the plays that mattered most: Curry kept scoring, Lendeborg backed him up, the rebounds piled up, and the free throws sealed it.
In Other News...
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The early part of the season made Minnesota look like it could breeze through the opening stretch, with three straight blowouts by 20 points or more before the first real cracks showed up. A loss to Cleveland was a reminder that the wins cant mask everything, and the bigger concern is the tone around the team as it tries to settle into a rhythm after such a fast start.
Anthony Edwards knee injury has only added to the uncertainty, and the Wolves are now trying to manage the kind of turbulence that can test a locker room before Thanksgiving. Rudy Gobert has been at the center of some visible on-court frustration, a sign that the chemistry issues are not staying behind closed doors, but this is still a long season and Minnesota has enough time to sort through it if the response is as strong as the start. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Absence Puts Early Pressure On The Timberwolves
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The encouraging part for Minnesota is that the organization expects a full recovery, but there is no specific timetable for his return, which makes the opening stretch of the schedule that much more delicate. With Edwards out, the Wolves will have to navigate those first weeks with less margin for error and a greater need for other pieces to absorb the offensive load until their star is cleared to come back. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Kerr's Kuminga Comments Reopen A Warriors Split That Still Stings
Jonathan Kumingas latest meeting with the Warriors offered a small reminder of why the trade that sent him out of Golden State still carries a little sting. Now with the Timberwolves, the forward got his first look at his former team and showed again why the move drew so much second-guessing in the Bay Area, especially with the Warriors having sent him and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis.
Even with the business of the deal long since done, Steve Kerrs comments added another layer to the split. The Warriors coach spoke positively about Kumingas growth and said Minnesota has been a good place for him, a notable acknowledgment from the team that once had to decide whether to keep building around him or move on. For Minnesota, it is the sort of development that can make a new arrival feel more like a fit than a flier. [Read more 🡒]