The Minnesota Timberwolves seek a repeat performance when they go for a second win in three days over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco on Sunday night.
In the first game of the back-to-back set, the Timberwolves beat the Warriors 107-90 on the road Friday night. Anthony Edwards finished with a game-high 30 points, one of five Minnesota players who scored in double figures.
The Timberwolves also had a successful three-day visit to San Francisco last season, when they won 116-110 on Nov. 12 and 104-101 on Nov. 14.
Minnesota was sloppy on offense in the win Friday, committing 21 turnovers, the second-most it has had in a win this season. But the Timberwolves made up for it by forcing Golden State into a season-high 22.
Minnesota coach Chris Finch credited his players’ ability to focus on defense despite their offensive struggles.
“We didn’t hang our head when things weren’t going our way. We got guarding, which is important,” Finch said. “Survived a lot of their runs. When you turn it over, they make you pay. The guys did a great job of just staying pretty calm.”
The Timberwolves did more than just force turnovers. With big men Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid anchoring the middle, Minnesota blocked six shots and affected many others, helping to hold Golden State to 39.0 percent shooting from the floor.
Though he credited the Minnesota defense, Warriors coach Steve Kerr insisted his club’s biggest offensive issue was unfamiliarity.
After Golden State’s 99-93 home win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday, Kerr replaced Buddy Hield with Stephen Curry, who sat out the victory to rest his knees, in the starting lineup and had Draymond Green come off the bench in his first game back from injury. Moses Moody missed the game due to an injury and Andrew Wiggins didn’t return after halftime because of a troublesome ankle.
“We’re mixing and matching,” Kerr said. “The reason for starting differently was to try to help the second unit get organized with Draymond. But we need some more practice time; we’ve got to get our act together. We were much better offensively the first couple weeks of the season, and last couple of weeks we’ve been struggling. Which is why I’ve been searching lineup-wise.”
If Kerr adjusts the lineup Sunday, it won’t be because Green was upset about getting benched in favor of Jonathan Kuminga. Green had one of his best games — 10 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals in 26 minutes — and afterward gave the move a thumbs-up.
“Of course I’m OK with it,” Green said. “I have been one of (Kuminga’s) biggest fans since he’s been here. And so if he has an opportunity to start, you can’t be hypocritical. I want to see him do well. So if his opportunity goes through me, then it is what it is. He earned the opportunity. If it works, then you continue with it.”
Kuminga, who had a career-best 33 points in the win over Houston, was held to 13 points in the loss to Minnesota.
–Field Level Media