Steph Curry went off for 44 points, including a perfect 16-for-16 from the free throw line, but the Golden State Warriors still barely scraped by the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 119-114 win Wednesday night. Seriously, after looking like they had things locked up, the Warriors almost handed this one away in the final minutes.
Curry’s Explosion Kept ‘Em Ahead, Mostly
For most of Wednesday night in Minneapolis, it looked like the Warriors were back to that dominant squad that just trounced the Denver Nuggets on Monday. Steph Curry was absolutely cooking. The dude dropped 44 points, and get this: he was perfect from the charity stripe, hitting all 16 of his attempts. That means he’s now sunk all 39 of his free throws to start the season. Incredible. He even hit the last two with 0.1 seconds left, but those were just icing on a very dramatic cake.
The Warriors led for the final 38 minutes of the game, holding a double-digit advantage for most of the second half. Curry had this signature “Curry Flurry” in the second quarter, too. In just 184 seconds, from 9:11 to 6:07 on the clock, he nailed five three-pointers, scored 17 points, and dished out an assist. That kind of run is why they pulled away in the first place, and it had everyone thinking this was going to be an easy W.
The Late-Game Choke That Almost Doomed Them
But then, *ugh*, the last four minutes hit different. It was like watching that second game of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies all over again, when they choked it away. The Warriors were up by 11 points with only 2:16 left after Curry picked off a LaMelo Ball pass, leading to a Yaxel Lendeborg dunk. You’d think that would be enough, right? Nope.
A series of turnovers, some dropped passes, bricked free throws, and totally inattentive three-point defense almost completely unraveled everything. Jonathan Kuminga hit a three-point play for the Wolves, then the Warriors started missing shots. Ayo Dosunmu piled on, hitting a layup, then a three-pointer, and even picked Curry’s pocket when the Wolves were only down four. It took a heroic, season-saving block by De’Anthony Melton on Dosunmu right at the rim, followed by Jaden McDaniels bricking two crucial threes, before the Warriors could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Talk about cutting it close.
Wolves Battled Without Edwards, But It Wasn’t Enough
The Timberwolves were playing without Anthony Edwards, who’s out until at least December after knee surgery, and it showed. They struggled big time to find offense, especially from LaMelo Ball, who shot a rough 3-for-11 and coughed up six turnovers to go with his eight points. Rudy Gobert was a total non-factor, only logging a single point, four rebounds, and zero blocks. The Warriors only played traditional centers for 20 minutes, which probably didn’t help Gobert’s mood trying to defend Curry.
Despite the struggles, a few Wolves did step up. Jonathan Kuminga led them with 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting, including three-for-five from deep, plus five assists and zero turnovers. Yaxel Lendeborg was huge with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Jaden McDaniels added 19 points and eight rebounds. Terrence Shannon, Jr. also chipped in with 19 points off the bench, going 8-for-10 from the free throw line. They put up a fight, but Curry’s brilliance, and a little late-game luck, sealed it for Golden State.
Whew, talk about a relief. The Warriors got the W, but man, they made it interesting. Surviving a scare like that, especially after looking so dominant, really shows how razor-thin the margins can be in this league.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
Leave a Reply