Wolves need all 48 minutes for ugly win over Warriors
It took less than two minutes for the game to spiral out of control and it Minnesota didn't regain control until Mike Conley hit a 3-pointer with 8.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter as the Timberwolves left San Francisco with a two game sweep of the Golden State Warriors, winning 104-101 Tuesday night.
Just 1 minute, 43 seconds into the game – with the score tied 0-0 – Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got into a scuffle and Draymond Green put Rudy Gobert in a headlock, resulting in ejections for Thompson, Green and McDaniels on a night where the Warriors were already without Steph Curry due to knee soreness.
"Shoutout to the Minnesota Wild, it was like a hockey game to start the game," Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 33 points, said on Bally Sports North.
Golden State's gang of backups came out of the chaos with fire and built a 30-19 lead late in the first quarter, but Anthony Edwards' 3 made it 30-22 to end the quarter and then Towns erupted with nine straight points to start the second quarter, highlighted by a pair of triples and an and-1 runner.
Final stats:
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 33 points, 11 rebounds, 5-of-12 from 3
- Anthony Edwards: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
- Rudy Gobert: 9 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks
- Mike Conley: 13 points, 8 assists, 4-of-6 shooting
- Shake Milton: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists in 15 minutes
Nov 14, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after scoring against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Chase Center.
Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota took a 43-42 lead with 6:43 left in the second quarter only to let the Warriors go on a 17-11 run to end the quarter and lead 59-54 at the half. The Wolves, riding a six-game win streak including wins over the juggernaut Nuggets and Celtics, couldn't buy a bucket.
The struggles continued in the third quarter as Golden State extended the lead to 83-76, highlighted by Brandin Podziemski's turnaround 3 off the glass at the buzzer.
Minnesota came out stronger in the third quarter. Rudy Gobert blocked a pair of Andrew Wiggins shots at the rim and later Towns hit back-to-back 3s to give the Timberwolves an 86-85 lead with 7:32 left.
The fourth quarter was basketball boxing match, with the undermanned Warriors going toe-to-toe with the Timberwolves. Dario Saric hit a straightaway 3 to put Golden State up 98-96 with 2:05 to go and then Towns answered with his fifth 3-pointer of the night for a 99-98 lead with 1:07 to play.
After a Minnesota miss, Gobert blocked a corner 3 attempt by Saric and then Edwards dribbled around the defense and into the lane before kicking it out to Conley for a 3 to put the Wolves up 102-98 with 8.6 seconds remaining.
It was the dagger for Minnesota's seventh straight win as they improve to 8-2 overall, tied with Boston and Philadelphia for the second best record in the NBA, just one win behind the 9-2 Nuggets.
The win Tuesday night was also an In-Season Tournament game, meaning Minnesota is 2-0 in Group Play. They have three more games to play in the group stage for eight teams advance to the bracket rounds in December.
Up next: Timberwolves at Phoenix Suns, Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. CT.
