Things started well for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night until late, as the Golden State Warriors ultimately ended Minnesota's four-game winning streak with a 114-106 victory at Chase Center.
It was an obvious difference in the Wolves' defense in comparison to their last matchup with Golden State on Friday, as they allowed 22 more points and made ill-advised decisions that led the Warriors to run the fastbreak, scoring 44 points off that.
Stephen Curry couldn't miss, especially as the game went on, and Minnesota kept chucking up bad shots as the Warriors flipped the script, this time putting their dominant defense on display.
Related: Once 'soft as hell,' the Timberwolves are thriving under Anthony Edwards
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Minnesota started off well, carrying a 30-21 lead into the second quarter as the Warriors struggled shooting from the floor. At halftime, the Timberwolves led 58-49 as Golden State was shooting 37.5% from the floor and 30.8% from three. Meanwhile, Minnesota was shooting 52.5% at halftime and 45.8% from deep, hitting 11-of-24 attempts.
Golden State turned up the heat in the second half, as they started to hit shots while the Wolves got a little sloppy on the offensive side that resulted in poor defense on the other end.
The Wolves were scoreless for nearly four-and-a-half minutes into the fourth quarter and then went scoreless again over the final 4:47 of the game. Anthony Edwards missed five shots in clutch time, as he struggled with his touch in crunchtime. He finished with a team-high 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting and 5-for-9 from three, adding five rebounds, six assists and a steal. He also turned the ball over a season-high six times.
One of his turnovers proved to be the costly dagger of the game, as he had a pass to Jaden McDaniels stolen by Gary Payton II, who found Curry for a three-pointer that sealed the game with less than a minute to go.
Curry finished with 30 points, shooting 8-for-18 from the field and 5-for-11 from three. Buddy Hield also made a massive impact, scoring 27 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the floor and 7-for-13 from deep.
The Wolves shot 29% (6-for-21) from the field in the fourth quarter, as they fell apart and were handed their 11th loss of the season. Golden State moves to 14-9 with the win.
Minnesota (12-11) will next take on the Los Angeles Lakers (12-11) on Friday at Target Center. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. The two teams have split the season series so far 1-1.
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This story was originally published December 8, 2024, 8:57 PM.