Facing Warriors deprived of Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, and Gary Payton II, Wolves had to wait until the last fifteen minutes to make the difference. The Warriors put up a good fight but exploded in midair for the final game of this four-game road trip.
Minnesota’s defense, which limits Golden State to 33% success and causes 6 lost balls in the first quarter, dominates the start of the match (30-22). The Warriors cling however by frustrating Karl-Anthony Towns with a solid Kevon Looney before the trio Klay Thompson – Jordan Poole – Jonathan Kuminga brings them back to equality at the start of the second half (59-59).
The awakening of Andrew Wiggins on both sides of the field gives orders to Golden State but the Wolves, behind an aggressive KAT, ends the third quarter on a 12-1 to take a ten-point lead (91-81). The address of Malik Beasley, who hit twice in a row, allows Minnesota to start the home stretch with a 14-3 to put the Warriors on the ropes (105-84). Golden State will not recover, and the Wolves therefore stop a two-game losing streak to stay in touch with seventh place in the Western Conference.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
Karl-Anthony Towns dominates inside. In the absence of Draymond Green, Kevon Looney was left alone to limit the Wolves star. Despite a great performance from the Warriors center, Towns did what he wanted. Aggressive low post, the future All-Star set the tone for his team and allowed them to pull away late in the third quarter to put Wolves ahead once and for all. He scored ten of his eleven baskets in the racket.
Malik Beasley, the X factor. Silent in the first half, Malik Beasley set the sights in the third quarter. Each of his 5 award-winning shots came at strategic times. His address first kept Minnesota in contact, before coming to put several exclamation points at the 19-1 Wolves to kill the game at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter.
Jonathan Kuminga confirms his good form at the moment. After his fine performance in Chicago on Friday, Jonathan Kumninga again made an impression with his physical power. On several occasions, the rookie bulldozed, attacking the circle with ferocity. He scored or caused the foul on each of his possessions. With Draymond Green’s extended absence, Kuminga will be in Steve Kerr’s rotation. It’s up to him to seize this opportunity to show that he is capable of helping his team stay close to the top of the Western Conference.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Karl-Anthony Towns. The Wolves pivot scored 13 of his 26 points in the third quarter to allow his team to take control of the game. He also grabbed 11 rebounds.
✅ Malik Beasley. Struggling with his skill in recent games, Beasley caught fire in the second half scoring 15 5-for-9 three-pointers
✅ Jonathan Kuminga. The rookie finished with 19 points and 7 rebounds in 33 minutes off the bench.
⛔ Klay Thompson. The “Splash Brother” continues to find its rhythm. He was often against the grain in the Warriors’ attack in the first half and could never set the sights. He finished the game 5 of 14 on shots.
⛔ Anthony Edwards. While he had scored 46 points in the last match between the two teams, “Ant” was muzzled by the Dubs defense. He only scored 9 points, 3 of 8 on shots.
THE FOLLOWING
Golden State (31-12) : the Warriors return to Chase Center and the Pistons on Tuesday to begin a seven-game home streak.
Minnesota (21-22) : the Wolves head to New York where they will play Knicks on Tuesday.
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