Warriors Injury List Grows as Timberwolves Prove Too Much to Handle in Friday the 13th Matchup
The Golden State Warriors’ latest tilt featured young superstar Anthony Edwards and last year’s Western Conference finalists, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Dubs looked for a season series split after winning their second contest at Target Center but dropping their other two matchups. They’d have to do so with a few absentees, as Moses Moody, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green missed out on tonight’s game with their respective injuries. Mid-March finds these two teams fighting for different goals, as Golden State still looks to grab either the seventh or eighth seed to ensure two chances at a playoff spot. The Timberwolves, however, are well-positioned to fight for better seeding, reasonably chasing for a spot as high as third.
The first quarter at Chase Center quickly became a small sample size of how the two teams differed in approach. Golden State focused more on ball movement and trying to create open shots or backdoor cuts. Their highlight of the half came just three minutes into the game as Gui Santos found a cutting Kristaps Porzingis, who, in mid-air, caught the ball and spun it in off the glass. Minnesota, on the other hand, tried to push the pace and attack the rim early during the shot clock. Their aggressiveness was rewarded, as Edwards and Rudy Gobert took a combined 11 first-quarter free throws. The first quarter finished in a defensive and tight, yet still somewhat high scoring 31-28 score in favor of the visitors.
Taking that small into the second, Chris Finch’s team stayed solid in the non-Edwards minutes. Minnesota took advantage of their athleticism by continuing to push a high pace and led a transition-like offense even on their own inbounds. About two minutes into the quarter, the Timberwolves turned their strong start into a 17-4 run, forcing Steve Kerr to call a timeout with 5:30 left in the quarter. The lead, seemingly out of nowhere, ballooned to 15 points.
Golden State tried to switch their approach up and began to shoot more threes to get back into contention. Suffering from the absence of their greatest shooter, Curry, the Warriors had a tough time getting someone to consistently connect from beyond the arc. As if their subpar shooting wasn’t enough, the first half ended with both Al Horford and Seth Curry leaving the game due to injuries. Though neither of the two looks serious, the Warriors had to carry out the rest of the contest without their two veterans. Edwards got into a groove as he led his team in points with 20, and the first 24 minutes ended with Golden State seeing Minnesota’s back, 69-48.
The Warriors showed some fight in the third and didn’t give up. Yet, Minnesota did not stop pressing the gas on their offense until the end of the quarter. They didn’t let the fact that they had to play most of the game without a true center, since Porzingis is still on a minute restriction. Golden State got to the line more and revisited an aggressive approach to slow the pace off and chip away at their deficit. Ending the quarter on a 10-0 run, Kerr’s squad had hung around enough to entertain a possible comeback down 13.
Edwards had other ideas, and despite a phenomenal, 13-point fourth quarter by Santos, ‘Ant-Man’ and his 42 points were ultimately too much to overcome. When the Warriors got close, the Timberwolves again pulled away. Never really letting their opponents get within real touching distance, Minnesota put the finishing touches to a 127-117 victory and saw the game out. With an injury-depleted roster, the Warriors now drop to 32-34. They will head on the road for six straight matchups, beginning with a trip to New York to face the Knicks tomorrow night.
