Stephen Curry scored 44 points, his 46th game of 40 or more since turning 30, an NBA record, as the Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-114 on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.
Curry needed his best statistical night of the early season. The Warriors’ coaching staff built the game plan around him. They wanted to pull Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert out of the paint, so they ran high-screen action with Curry in the first half to drag Gobert away from the rim.
The plan worked. Minnesota, reeling and playing its first game since losing Anthony Edwards to an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee, was scattered in its coverage on the back end. An aggressive Curry shredded it.
A Strong Response After a Tame Game
Two nights earlier, the Denver Nuggets sold out to stop Curry. He attempted only one shot in the first half and finished an efficient but quiet 8-of-8 from the field.
On Wednesday, Curry fired up 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 3-pointers. The fifth came from 31 feet, an audacious attempt that signals an in-rhythm Curry.
“I’m just watching like, man, this guy is good as hell,” Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg said. “It’s crazy. I caught myself shaking my head a couple times.”
Minnesota Makes a Late Push
The Warriors led by as many as 24 points, but Minnesota forced a batch of turnovers, sped up the older Golden State team and threatened deep into the fourth quarter.
Curry and the Warriors held on. In the third quarter, he dove on the floor for a loose ball, and he said later that the play showed how well his body felt. He also logged more than 30 minutes for the first time this season.
In the fourth quarter, Curry cooled off from the field but made his mark at the free throw line. 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.”
Rebounding From a Rocky Start
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 spiral.
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 his fourth career game. Then it survived Minnesota behind a fresh 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 Rematch Looms
The Warriors return to San Francisco for a six-game homestand that opens Friday night against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers crushed Golden State in the opener, and Lendeborg had a memorable dustup with Doncic that spilled over into the postgame news conferences.
Asked whether he was looking forward to the rematch, Lendeborg said, “Absolutely.”
“Yes, I am,” he said. “I’ll talk about that more on Friday.”