The Warriors earned their first victory of the preseason with a 142-110 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Shanghai on Sunday. Stephen Curry led all scorers with 40 points to go along with six rebounds and eight assists. Klay Thompson accounted for 28 points and eight three-pointers, while Kevin Durant recorded 22 points and two steals. With the victory, Golden State improves to 1-2 in preseason play.
They’ll now return home from the 2017 NBA Global Games and finish off their preseason slate on Friday against the Sacramento Kings at Oracle Arena.
Golden State stumbled out of the gate and allowed Minnesota to take an early double-digit advantage as a result of some careless turnovers. The Dubs kept themselves in it in the early going, however, thanks to their proficiency from long range. Warriors combined to make four of their first five three-point attempts, and would go on to total 20 in the game as a team. The Timberwolves didn’t have much trouble scoring either, though, and ended the first quarter holding a 44-36 lead.
The Warriors surged ahead midway through the second quarter and never looked back. Stephen Curry got the crowd on its feet with a series of spectacular displays, pouring in points from both the paint and long range alike.
His three-pointer with 3:23 remaining in the first half tied the game at 66-66, and Klay Thompson’s trey 32 seconds later gave Golden State the lead for good. They’d go on to take a 76-72 advantage going into halftime.
The Dubs would blow the game open in the third quarter, however, and use a 14-3 run to build a double-digit cushion immediately after Minnesota had trimmed the deficit to one. Curry’s two free throws at the end of the third quarter would expand their lead to 114-95 heading into the fourth, and the Timberwolves would get no closer from that point on.
With the game well in hand, Steve Kerr went to the reserves midway through the fourth and final quarter, and they ended the contest on a high note. Jordan Bell was a particular bright spot, making his presence felt on both ends of the court.
Golden State concludes the 2017 Global Games having split the two preseason games against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors will now return home to the Bay Area for their fourth and final preseason game on Friday against the Sacramento Kings.
