The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves faced off for their second matchup in three days, as the Warriors pulled out a 114-106 win at home in the Chase Center. This was a revenge win for the Warriors, who lost to the Wolves at home on Friday (90-107).
Stephen Curry led the team with 30 points (8-18 FG) and eight assists, while Buddy Hield broke out of his shooting slump with 27 points (10-18 FG) and three steals. Jonathan Kuminga is excelling with an increased role, putting up 20 points (7-16 FG) and seven rebounds tonight. Kevon Looney had an impactful stint off the bench with 12 points (6-8 FG) and nine rebounds.
The Timberwolves were led by Anthony Edwards‘ 27 points (10-19 FG), five rebounds and six assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker came off the bench for 19 points (7-9 FG) while Julius Randle had 14 points and 11 rebounds (4-15 FG). Mike Conley (12 PTS) and Naz Reid (10 PTS) also scored in double-digits, but Rudy Gobert struggled mightily with just four points (1-3 FG) and nine rebounds.
Let’s analyze what went right for the Warriors in this win.
Wolves Performances Fluctuate Too Much On Both Ends
Ever since Karl-Anthony Towns left the Timberwolves, the team has struggled to find answers for consistent offensive production on the roster. Anthony Edwards (27 PTS, 10-18 FG) had a great night for the first three-quarters of the game and was helping the Timberwolves keep pace with the Warriors before shooting 1-7 in the fourth quarter and being locked up by Gary Payton II (2 STL, 2BLK).
Without Edwards contributing, the Wolves offense grinds to a halt, which isn’t sustainable for a Playoff run. Julius Randle (4-15 FG) had a terrible game offensively as well, with the Warriors’ collection of athletic wings making it an impossible night for him. He hasn’t come close to replicating KAT’s offensive value to the franchise and the Wolves’ 12-11 record reflects that fact.
Minny shot 36-79 from the field and 19-42 from three but couldn’t generate as many shots as the Warriors, who shot 42-90 from the field and 16-41 from three. The Wolves were outrebounded 39-45 while they turned the ball over 14 times compared to Golden State’s 11 times. Even offensive creation was better for the Warriors who dished 28 assists to Minnesota’s 22 on the night.
The Wolves couldn’t find the defensive beasts that put together a very impressive five-game win streak tonight, and their fluctuating offense made matters worse. With this lack of consistency, it’s hard to take the Timberwolves seriously as contenders right now.
The Stephen Curry Show
The Golden State Warriors will go as far as Stephen Curry can take them. He’s the sole superstar on the roster and has proven to be ridiculously impactful for the franchise this season. While he’s averaging 23.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists on 30.6 minutes per game, it’s allowed his impact to be maximized as the team entirely revolves around his offensive production. Today, Curry’s gravity was enough to set players like Hield and Kuminga in the right spots for major offensive contributions.
The Warriors entered this game having lost five of their last six games and their most recent loss came against the Timberwolves. The franchise needed this win to re-establish themselves as West contenders and Curry answered the call with an offensive flurry.
He scored 15 points (5-8 FG) in the second quarter to help the Warriors take a big lead before being one of their only consistent offensive forces in the third quarter (9 PTS, 2-3 FG) He hit a ridiculous buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter to give the Warriors a slender lead heading into the fourth, one they extended in the final minutes of the game.
This game reinforced how valuable Curry is to the franchise, but also shows the team needs a co-star that Steph can rely on as well.
Jonathan Kuminga And Buddy Hield Need To Be More Consistent
Speaking of co-stars, there’s clearly room for one of the rotational players to emerge as a quasi-co-star for Curry by maximizing touches and possessions where Curry isn’t the one shooting. The two players who have been put into that position the most this season are Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga, with both players showing why they can take that role with their combined 47 points tonight.
Kuminga is averaging 15.0 points this season while Hield is averaging 14.5 points, showing that their performance tonight was well above the norm of what we can expect from them. Hield opened the season on a ridiculous heater and was shooting almost 50% from three on high volume. Kuminga was protected in trade conversations all summer because the team believed in his ability to elevate his game.
Neither player has been able to consistently support Curry, who himself can be prone to cold shooting nights. Tonight’s win was made possible because of their offensive contributions and it was still a single-digit win for Golden State. Hopefully, Steve Kerr continues giving them opportunities that they can maximize, with the team making Kuminga a focus recently.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
