Stephen Curry scored 44 points, the most he has managed in a game this season, and became the first player in NBA history to reach 40 points on 46 occasions after his 30th birthday. He led the Golden State Warriors to a 119-114 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.
Curry’s performance was built on the game plan. The Warriors’ coaching staff wanted to pull Timberwolves centre Rudy Gobert out of the paint, so they ran high-screen action with Curry in the first half to drag Gobert into space. It worked. Minnesota, which was playing its first game since losing Anthony Edwards to an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee, was scattered in its coverage, and an aggressive Curry took full advantage.
The contrast with his previous outing was stark. Two nights earlier, the Denver Nuggets had sold out to stop him, and he attempted just one shot in the first half, finishing an efficient but quiet 8-of-8 from the field. On Wednesday, he took six shots in the first seven minutes and then 10 more in the second quarter. At halftime he had 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including five three-pointers. The fifth came from 31 feet, an audacious attempt that signalled Curry was in rhythm.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg also left an impression. “I’m just watching like, man, this guy is good as hell,” Lendeborg said of Curry. “It’s crazy. I caught myself shaking my head a couple times.”
The Warriors led by as many as 24 points, but Minnesota forced a series of turnovers, pushed the pace against the older Golden State side and threatened deep into the fourth quarter. Curry steadied things. He dived on the floor for a loose ball in the third quarter, and he later said it was a sign of how well his body felt on a night when he played more than 30 minutes for the first time this season. Although he cooled from the field in the fourth quarter, he made all seven of his free throws in the final eight minutes and finished 16-of-16 from the line.
“We still have a lot of things to [improve], but you like learning lessons while you’re winning,” Curry said. “The 2-1 road trip is great. Step in the right direction.”
A shaky start, then a response
The Warriors opened the season with three straight losses, including a 12-point collapse in the final three minutes of their home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies. With a demanding schedule ahead, there was some concern about an early-season slide. Golden State has since responded. It blew out the Nuggets in Denver on Monday night, with Lendeborg contributing 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in only his fourth career game. The Warriors then held on against Minnesota behind a rejuvenated Curry.
“There’s a slight bit of relief,” Curry said. “But still an understanding that in the Memphis game, the second half tonight, we know we can play better.”
Lendeborg finished with 26 points and nine rebounds against the Timberwolves, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the rookie was in a sour mood after the game because of his seven turnovers. “I played hella soft today,” Lendeborg said.
Lakers next
The Warriors return to San Francisco for a six-game homestand, which begins on Friday night against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers beat Golden State convincingly in the season opener, and Lendeborg had a memorable exchange with Doncic that spilled over into the postgame news conferences. Asked whether he was looking forward to the rematch, Lendeborg said, “Absolutely.” He added: “Yes, I am. I’ll talk about that more on Friday.”