After a shocking win for the Golden State Warriors in Game 1, the Minnesota Timberwolves needed to respond with urgency tonight to retake control of the series. It was far from an easy endeavor, but with support from the crowd at the Target Center, the Wolves managed to stave off the Curry-less Warriors in a double-digit blowout win to tie the series at one game apiece.
The Timberwolves made a statement early in this game with a 29-point first quarter to outscore the Warriors by 14 points. As the Warriors began to heat up offensively, Minnesota responded by increasing its own scoring output, going from 27 in the second quarter up to 30 points in the fourth. By the end of the game, the score wasn’t even close, and the Timberwolves had already secured the victory (117-93).
Julius Randle led all scorers with 24 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists on 58.8% shooting. Anthony Edwards wasn’t too far behind with 20 points, nine rebounds, and five assists on 46.2% shooting. Off the bench, Nickeil Alexander-Walker dropped 20 points, two rebounds, and threw assists on 7-13 shooting.
The Warriors looked to Jimmy Butler to step up without Stephen Curry tonight, but he had a mediocre game at best with a stat line of 17 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on 46.2% shooting. Draymond Green dropped nine points, four rebounds, and five assists on 30% shooting while Jonathan Kuminga tallied 18 points, five rebounds, and one assist on 72.7% shooting.
With a chance to go up 2-0 in the series, the Warriors held nothing back in Game 2, but not even their best was enough to keep up with the competition tonight. In an impressive team effort, the Timberwolves have evened the score and kept their NBA championship dreams alive with a star-studded roster.
Lopsided Shooting Splits
After dropping just 88 points in Game 1, the Timberwolves were due for a hot shooting night, and that’s what they got tonight in the 24-point blowout. Unlike Tuesday’s contest, Minnesota’s offense was potent in Game 2, and it was enough to take full advantage of a short-handed Warriors squad.
As a team, the Wolves shot 50.6% from the field (44-87) and 43.2% (16-37) from three, with five players in double figures. Meanwhile, the Warriors went 44.7% (34-76) and 28.1% (9-32) from three. Without Stephen Curry, Golden State had no spark offensively, and not even one player was able to hit the 20-point threshold.
For one of the top defenses in the NBA, it was a truly elite performance for Minnesota, and they sent a powerful message going into Game 3 on Saturday. Right when you think the Wolves are out, they respond with their best game yet, and tonight we saw what has made them such a major threat in the West for the past few years.
23 Shots For Butler And Green
In the absence of Stephen Curry, the Warriors needed more from their other stars to make up the difference, guys like Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. In Game 1, they combined to score 38 points, and the pressure was on for them to do more in tonight’s showdown before the game unravelled out of their control.
Not only did the Warriors duo combine for just 25 points in the loss, but they also shot an abysmal 39.1% from the field. Draymond was near unplayable at times, going 3-10 from the field with two turnovers in 29 minutes as he tried in vain to carry Steph’s scoring load.
The worst news of all for the Warriors is that Butler took just 13 shots in the game, somehow less than he took in Game 1. Whether due to a lack of confidence or poor execution of the game plan, Butler was not as involved as he should have been, and it left the Warriors without a leader on the court.
Julius Randle Is The X-Factor
The Timberwolves will only go as far as Anthony Edwards takes them, but Julius Randle has been integral to their recent success. Since his arrival in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, Randle has worked hard to find his place, and now he’s thriving in one of the deepest frontcourts in the league.
Tonight, in 33 minutes, Randle dropped 24 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists on 58.8% shooting. He became the first Timberwolf since Kevin Garnett to have a 20/5/10 game in the postseason. Currently, he’s one of two players in the entire playoffs with a 60% true shooting percentage.
With Randle, the Timberwolves don’t just have another scorer. They have a rebounder, defender, and leader on the floor who makes an impact in more ways than one. If he can sustain this level of play through the rest of the series, it will put Minnesota in a good position to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Only two games are in the books so far, and it’s impossible to tell which way the series is leaning. After tonight’s win at home, the Timberwolves have picked up a lot of momentum, but the hard work is really only just beginning. To win the next three out of five, the Wolves will need seamless execution on the court and to be prepared for when Curry inevitably returns to the fold.
