Curry, Inexperienced return however Warriors flattened by relentless Timberwolves

SAN FRANCISCO — Newton’s third regulation of basketball accidents harm the Warriors on Friday night time within the Chase Middle: each return to damage has an equal and reverse unlucky damage.

Though each Steph Curry and Draymond Inexperienced returned from transient absences, the Warriors misplaced Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody through the recreation to ankle and knee accidents, respectively.

The illnesses left Steve Kerr again to the place he’s been for the previous three weeks — looking for solutions. The take a look at got here again and revealed the Warriors didn’t have sufficient shooters, nor sufficient playmakers to deal with Minnesota’s dogged ball strain.

The Warriors (13-9) trailed for the whole lot of the ultimate three quarters and obtained closed out by a defiant Anthony Edwards (30 factors, 9 assists) . The Warriors’ 107-90 defeat makes it six losses of their previous seven video games, with a rematch in opposition to the Timberwolves upcoming on Sunday.

Minnesota pressured 21 Golden State turnovers and held the Warriors to beneath 30% taking pictures from deep.

The Warriors began Jonathan Kuminga on the 4 and introduced Inexperienced — in his return from a two-game absence — off the bench.

Kuminga, although he performed aggressively, didn’t repeat his 33-point gem that matched his career-high from Thursday. He completed with 13 factors on 15 photographs.

And Inexperienced, who has come off the bench earlier than in his profession, performed with a spring in his step. He went coast-to-coast for a finger roll after a clean crossover earlier than hitting a catch-and-shoot 3. Inexperienced registered eight factors and three boards in his first seven minutes.

For all of the speak of tweaking the rotation, Kerr solely actually adjusted the order of operations, not the operation itself. He ended up enjoying 13 guys, together with Pat Spencer, each out of urgency and accidents.

The large change, which started earlier than Friday night time, was Curry’s minutes sample. As an alternative of his conventional rotation, he once more began and completed every quarter, sitting in between whereas staggering with Brandin Podziemski.

With or with out Curry, the Warriors stumbled to begin the second quarter. Golden State scored simply two factors and dedicated a slew of turnovers within the first six minutes of the interval. When Kerr referred to as a timeout at 4:42, the Wolves led, 48-35. The Warriors obtained outscored 17-4 over 7:18 whereas logging half as many made area objectives (2) as turnovers (4).

The offense was so caught, Kerr dusted off Lindy Waters III — bringing his rotation again to 12 out of desperation. Moses Moody, who could have usually gotten these minutes, exited with left knee soreness.

Rudy Gobert blew up a number of performs within the lane, and Naz Reid additionally equipped rim safety behind him. Inexperienced picked up a technical foul after Julius Randle inadvertently clocked him within the mouth together with his elbow, which went uncalled.

Curry needed to restrain Inexperienced to forestall additional battle. After Inexperienced’s technical, he and Gobert — the 2 foes — had a pair moments of stress, however none of which escalated. The Warriors went on an 11-2 run, with Inexperienced making a number of glorious defensive performs, to shut the quarter. Even with that sturdy stretch, Golden State misplaced the body 25-15.

Andrew Wiggins, who scored 11 first-half factors, limped to the locker room two minutes into the second half. He has been coping with a proper ankle impingement that flared up on a bounce cease within the paint, knocking him out after 19 minutes.

Waters, in reserve, sank a wing 3 to cap a fast 11-4 run. However Minnesota regained management as Kerr went with a lineup of Brandin Podziemski, Spencer, Waters, Inexperienced and Trayce Jackson-Davis — a mix bereft of out of doors taking pictures.

The slumping Buddy Hield watched from the bench because the lineup struggled to create, or hit, photographs of any sort. The hunch quelled Golden State’s momentum, although Curry drilled a step-back, buzzer-beating 3 to finish the quarter on a excessive be aware.

Kyle Anderson bailed out a disgusting Warriors possession with a lefty layup, then Curry canned his third 3 to inch inside three.

However Edwards ignited a 9-2 Wolves response, and the Warriors turned it over on three straight ugly possessions. Like in earlier losses to the Spurs, Nets and Thunder, Golden State’s late-game offense went within the tank.

The Warriors went scoreless for 4 minutes as a decent recreation turned an 18-point onslaught. Followers filed out with greater than three minutes remaining, what was left of Golden State’s bench on the scorer’s desk prepared for mop-up obligation.