Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) dunks over Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 27: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket while Jaylen Nowell #4 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends in the first quarter of the game at Target Center on November 27, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) vie for a rebound in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) collide during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 27: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors dunks the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter of the game at Target Center on November 27, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 27: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates his three-point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center on November 27, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Warriors defeated the Timberwolves 137-114. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 27: Kyle Anderson #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket between Jordan Poole #3 and JaMychal Green #1 of the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at Target Center on November 27, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Warriors defeated the Timberwolves 137-114. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS – The Golden State Warriors knew something had to change if they wanted their winning ways at Chase Center to translate into road success. They had to set the tone, play with greater authority at both ends of the court. And in Sunday’s 137-114 win over the Timberwolves, they came out with a bang and earned their second road win of the season.
On the Warriors’ first possession, Draymond Green dribbled off a pair of high screens set by Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney. Wiggins, the first screener in the series, then rolled to the rim and threw down a thunderous alley-oop off Green’s pass.
“Steve has been drawing up amazing plays, it was pretty amazing,” Green said. “And quite frankly, I was throwing it regardless. Wiggs could’ve not been open. It really wasn’t open. But Wiggs was back in Minnesota, you got the big man down there, on his head. I was throwing it anyway.”
That play set the tone for the Warriors in what wound up being their best opening quarter of the season. Fueled by Green’s furious pace in transition, Golden State scored 47 first-quarter points while shooting a blistering 76% from the field.
D.Green 6-7 6-8 19, Wiggins 7-12 0-0 17, Looney 1-1 0-0 2, Curry 7-17 7-7 25, Thompson 8-13 0-0 21, Kuminga 3-5 1-1 7, Lamb 1-1 0-0 2, J.Green 3-4 0-0 6, DiVincenzo 5-10 0-0 14, Moody 0-0 0-0 0, Poole 9-17 3-4 24. Totals 50-87 17-20 137.
Edwards 7-17 10-11 26, Towns 8-14 4-4 21, Gobert 4-9 1-2 9, Rivers 1-4 2-2 5, Russell 5-14 2-2 15, Reid 3-6 0-1 8, Knight 0-1 0-2 0, Anderson 2-3 0-0 4, Forbes 4-8 1-1 10, Moore Jr. 0-1 0-1 0, Nowell 5-11 2-3 16. Totals 39-88 22-29 114.
3-Point Goals: Golden State 20-47 (Thompson 5-8, DiVincenzo 4-8, Curry 4-11, Wiggins 3-6, Poole 3-9, D.Green 1-2, J.Green 0-1, Kuminga 0-2), Minnesota 14-35 (Nowell 4-7, Russell 3-6, Reid 2-3, Edwards 2-6, Rivers 1-3, Forbes 1-4, Towns 1-5, Moore Jr. 0-1). Fouled Out: None. Rebounds: Golden State 47 (Curry 11), Minnesota 31 (Gobert 10). Assists: Golden State 36 (D.Green 11), Minnesota 22 (Russell 6). Total Fouls: Golden State 26, Minnesota 19. A: 17,136 (19,356)
“I mean, there were a lot of guys out there just pushing the pace,” Wiggins said. “Draymond’s always going to push the pace, he’s always going to try to bring the most out of everyone on the team. Steph is pushing the pace and throwing the ball ahead. I just feel like we’re in a great rhythm and that has to do with the pace we’re playing at.”
Offensively, the ball was zipping around the court and finding the open man, as the Warriors had 11 assists on 19 made field goals. Both Wiggins (10 points on 4-of-4 shooting) and Stephen Curry (13 points on 3-of-4) were already in double figures entering the second quarter and Golden State had a 20-point lead.
The Warriors’ biggest lead was 28 points. Minnesota cut the deficit to 10 with 5:29 left in the fourth quarter, but a Curry 3-pointer and two more from Klay Thompson pushed the lead back up to 19.
The Warriors shot a season-high 57.5% while limiting Minnesota to 44.3%. Golden State also outrebounded a team that features twin towers Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert 47-31. Its 137 total points were also a season high.
Six Warriors finished in double figures in scoring, led by Curry, who had 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Green had a season-high 19 points with 11 assists and zero turnovers. Donte DiVincenzo added a season-high 14 points off the bench.
Poole’s heating up: It appears the Warriors have finally solved their bench woes with Green and Wiggins’ insertion into the second unit, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Jordan Poole ’s offense is improving because of it. After all, one can make an argument that Golden State’s bench dysfunction impacted him the most.
While Poole struggled against the Clippers on Wednesday, he shot 59% from the field in his next two games. He finished with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting with four rebounds and six assists in 17 minutes against the Timberwolves.
With Green acting as the second unit’s primary facilitator in both games, Poole has been given the freedom to focus on what he’s getting paid $123 million guaranteed to do: score. That was on full display in Minnesota, as he confidently knocked down 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions toward the end of the first quarter to push the Warriors’ lead to 22.
But that wasn’t even Poole’s most aggressive sequence of the afternoon. With 7:35 left in the second quarter, he blew past Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, drove straight into the paint and finished with an acrobatic layup over Gobert.
“I just love when he stays aggressive, keeps shooting because he does things that are so special with the ball in his hands,” Thompson said. “He’s one of the best shot-creators in this league. He’s been playing incredibly well this season and the last couple of seasons. He’s such a great player.”
Know your role: Jonathan Kuminga has been in and out of the rotation this season and his minutes have fluctuated dramatically. But in recent games, it seems like the second-year forward is starting to figure things out.
“You felt the impact, I know we’ve 100% felt and seen the impact,” Green said. “And the reality is, what it boils down to is energy, effort and attention to detail when you’re a young guy.”
While Kuminga finished with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting with six rebounds in 20 minutes, the things that are earning him a more consistent role in the Warriors’ rotation don’t show up on the stat sheet. Like running the floor hard on every possession, taking efficient shots within the flow of the offense, timely cuts to the rim, not being a ball-stopper and keeping the offense flowing with his passing.
Kuminga did all of those things, and then some, Sunday. And his defense just keeps improving. While he’s still far from a finished product, he’s slowly learning how to make the most of his opportunities playing bench minutes on a championship roster.
“He’s affecting the game without scoring, and when you can do that, that’s a special thing,” Green said. “He has the ability to do that and he’s now starting to understand it and it’s been beautiful to watch him and he’s earning more and more minutes.”
source: San Francisco Chronicle
