ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — The Minnesota Timberwolves (13-63) were in town to face the Golden State Warriors (64-15).
Leandro Barbosa did not play due to a sore right Achilles tendon, his second straight missed game due to the injury. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves’ injury report had a lot of players out: Robbie Hummel, Anthony Bennett, Kevin Garnett, Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad, Gary Neal, Nikola Pekovic, and Ricky Rubio.
1ST QUARTER: Curry Hits Threes, Draymond Commits Fouls
Draymond Green picked up two early fouls in a little over three minutes of play from the opening tip, hitting Kevin Martin on a fade-away from the left baseline, then picked up another “cheapie” as he slapped Timberwolves big man Justin Hamilton on a roll after setting a screen for Zach Lavine.
Meanwhile, Stephen Curry started out on the right foot, draining a catch-and-shoot trey on a cross-court feed from Draymond Green after Klay Thompson flashed by Green to no avail, but after Lavine answered that with a left corner trey, Curry came back with an in-transition attempt from beyond the arc that was off rim to the right.
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Andre Iguodala subbed in for Draymond, then Steph found Andrew Bogut on a pick-and-roll slip with a lob that Bogut slammed home with the right hand, making it 10-9, Warriors, with 7:58 to play in the first period.
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Curry got a left corner trey to “toilet bowl” in, followed by a wide-open lay-in by Iguodala fed by Harrison Barnes as the Timberpups fell asleep on defense, but Rookie Of The Year candidate Andrew Wiggins came alive for the Wolves, getting a high post fade to drop against Klay Thompson, and-one.
After Thompson had a nice drive through traffic down the left side of the lane for a banker to make it 17-14, Warriors, Wiggins got a post up lob inside from Hamilton, Golden State’s help defense was too late, and Wiggins dunked it.
Wiggins wasn’t done, as Justin Holiday missed a wide-open left elbow jumper as the Minnesota defense retreated on him, and Wiggins took the rebound the length of the floor and ended the sequence with an emphatic right-handed dunk.
Then after Steph turned the ball over, trying to thread the needle inside with a bouncer as he probed baseline, the ball hitting a Timberwolf on the foot. Wiggins once again got the ball, led the break, and converted a finger roll layup on the other end in the blink of an eyelash. That tied the game at 22-22 with 2:13 to go.
Curry got the turnover bug. After a missed three-pointer that was followed up by a jumper by Kevin Martin that trickled in, Steph couldn’t decide between an overhead pass to Green from the top to the left elbow, or just giving it to Marreese Speights trailing behind him up top, and it was a silly traveling violation.
Minnesota closed out the quarter with some unlikely buckets from a left-lane driving Adreian Payne, getting the step past Speights with 35.3 ticks remaining, and a long two from up top from LaVine with 10.2 seconds left.
The Timberwolves took a 31-28 lead into the second quarter. Curry led all scorers with 15 points on 4-for-8 field, 3-for-5 downtown, and 4-for-4 from the line, while Barnes, Green, and Bogut combined for 10 rebounds. Wiggins led the Wolves with 9 points on 4-for-6 shooting and Hamilton was doing yeoman’s work, with 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
2ND QUARTER: Wiggins vs Klay
Minnesota’s lead reached as high as six, as Payne went up on the right baseline against Green’s outstretched arms with a two-hand cock of the ball behind the head, but found Wiggins on the deep left wing for a three-pointer to make it 34-28, Timberwolves, early on in the second frame.
But Shaun Livingston and Iguodala brought the Warriors back, with Livingston getting a left block turn-and-fade against LaVine to fall. Then after Lorenzo Brown‘s three-pointer was missed from up top, Livingston got the defensive board, dribbled the ball up, probed the Timberwolves’ defense in the paint, and found Iguodala open on the left side from a catch-and-shoot trey.
Thompson got into the mix, drilling a long two, then going between-the-legs on a dribble drive versus Chase Budinger, ending with an impressive controlled spin into the lane, fade, swish.
Golden State was up, 41-38, with 5:36 to go in the half and Curry checked back in.
Klay got another jumper to drop, dribbling, bumping, and fading on one foot once again against Budinger. The ball hit front rim and dropped.
Thompson’s next shot, a catch-and-shoot three-pointer from the deep left elbow, went too hard, but Barnes got a two-handed putback slam.
After Green denied a Budinger reverse layup attempt, Curry penetrated into the paint, went with an overhead pass to Barnes waiting in the left corner, and Harrison drilled it to give the Warriors the separation they were finally looking to get, pushing the Warriors up, 50-41, with 3:32 remaining.
The half closed out with both teams trading baskets. Festus Ezeli provided energy again, drawing a foul on an offensive rebound after Thompson was short on a jumper from up top. The Wolves were in the penalty and Ezeli missed the first but made the second free throw.
After Martin drained a three over Holiday, Klay made a nice double-clutch lefty layup with body contact from Hamilton at the rim, Wiggins made a high post fade over Green, Holiday made a right baseline jumper fed by Draymond, and Martin answered back with a dribble-and-fade on Holiday from the left side, Festus also got a two-handed dunk as he and Thompson both rolled toward the hoop. Curry got his 3rd assist as Ezeli slammed it home, giving the Warriors a 60-55 lead heading into halftime.
Curry led all scorers with 20 points on 6-for-10 field, 4-for-6 downtown, while Klay added 12 points on 6-for-13, although he was 0-for-3 from deep. Green chipped in 6 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and Barnes added 6 points, 5 rebounds.
Wiggins led the Wolves with 17 points on 7-for-11 field. LaVine added 13 points on 3-for-4 treys and Martin had 12 points.
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