SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors have spent the primary portion of the season wandering by means of a congested schedule full of back-to-backs and journey days.
So taking up the Timberwolves with 4 days of relaxation buffering the Friday evening matchup at Chase Heart with Golden State’s Sunday victory in Chicago? That was unfamiliar territory.
Within the groups’ first recreation in opposition to each other since Minnesota eradicated the Warriors in 5 video games within the second spherical of final season’s playoffs, Golden State fell 127-120.
Steph Curry returned to the lineup after lacking the earlier 5 video games with a left quad damage, beginning subsequent to Pat Spencer for the primary time. In the meantime, Wolves famous person Anthony Edwards was out with foot soreness, and the Warriors performed with out Al Horford and Draymond Inexperienced.
Keyed by some late-game stops, the Wolves withstood Steph Curry’s good shot-making and pulled away within the last minutes.
Curry led all scorers with 39 factors, whereas Quinten Submit took benefit of drop protection to attain 16. Julius Randle led the Wolves with 27 factors. Rudy Gobert scored 24 and grabbed 14 rebounds whereas repeatedly dunking on whichever Warrior occurred to be within the paint.
Protection was briefly provide early. The Warriors led 63-61 at halftime as Curry put in 16 and Spencer had 9 factors, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
Similar to within the postseason, the Wolves’ frontcourt of Randle, Gobert, Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniel pounded the Warriors. These 4 mixed for 84 factors because the Wolves briefly took a 3rd quarter lead.
Nonetheless, the Warriors, aided by two well timed Moses Moody buckets within the third, battled again to retake the lead, 91-88, by the tip of the third. However the Wolves’ dimension benefit — Rob Dillingham was the one Minnesota participant underneath 6-5 — helped the Timberwolves construct a double-digit lead halfway by means of the third.
Then Curry occurred, unleashing a flurry that helped the Warriors take a 115-114 lead with a little bit over two minutes remaining. It was not sufficient to safe the victory, although. The Wolves didn’t blink, and former Warrior Donte DiVincenzo drove the 3-point dagger into the Warriors with 27 seconds left to present Minnesota a five-point lead.
The Warriors (13-13) will journey to Portland on Sunday.
Different guard combos
The Warriors entered Friday evening with eight wholesome guards on the roster, and coach Steve Kerr discovered a approach to play six of them – the 2 exceptions being prior rookie starter Will Richard and veteran Seth Curry.
Except for the aforementioned Curry-Spencer duo, Kerr appeared to favor taking part in Brandin Podziemski with De’Anthony Melton, giving Podziemski a succesful ballhandler to play off in the course of the second and third quarters. .
Podziemski additionally hung out taking part in subsequent to Spencer and Curry within the second quarter.
Payton II – extra of a ahead than a guard – additionally discovered time subsequent to the extra offensively gifted Buddy Hield within the second quarter.
Hield was the backcourt participant who tended to drift between the totally different items, as his power and fast fingers allowed him to be a reputable choice to defend the Wolves’ forwards.
Kuminga doesn’t play
Jonathan Kuminga seems to be completely out of the Warriors’ rotation, with the fifth-year ahead receiving his second wholesome scratch in a row.
The Warriors despatched out 10 totally different gamers within the first quarter, and Kuminga’s standing was set in stone within the second quarter, when Gui Santos checked in with about eight minutes left earlier than halftime.
Each Kerr and Kuminga have assured anybody who will pay attention that the 2 have an excellent relationship, however it’s turning into more and more clear that Kuminga is just not within the staff’s future – or current – plans.
Kuminga might be traded on Jan. 15 on the earliest.
Inexperienced, Horford replace
Neither of the Warriors’ most skilled bigs have been lively in opposition to the Wolves. Inexperienced was away from the staff for an excused private cause.
Kerr advised reporters earlier than the sport that Inexperienced will journey with the staff for Sunday’s recreation at Portland. In the meantime, Horford was dominated out with sciatica, and the coach mentioned he had no additional replace on Horford’s standing.
Horford has performed one recreation since Nov. 21, which was final week’s matchup in Philadelphia when he shot 1 of 8.
What Warriors realized from playoffs
Whereas making ready for the 2025-26 season, Kerr contemplated lineup combos, ways and the staff’s quest for a fifth title. Mulling over the staff’s five-game loss to the Wolves within the second spherical of the playoffs?
Not excessive on his record of priorities.
“I don’t spend too much time on it, honestly,” Kerr mentioned.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply the staff didn’t be taught a factor or two from the defeat.
“The playoffs always expose the details,” Kerr mentioned, noting that Submit’s protection and Moody’s pick-and-roll abilities have been uncovered as weak spots.
