The Golden State Warriors (10-0) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-4) 129-116 on Thursday.
The considerably high-scoring affair was a testament to the reigning NBA champs' ability to pull out a victory in almost any style of game. While Golden State can certainly grind teams down with their defense–as they'd demonstrated Wednesday night when holding the Grizzlies to 85 points– they've also shown they can withstand a prolific offense performance from their opponent and still prevail. The latter was the case Thursday, with the Timberwolves getting productive nights out of multiple starters and reserves, yet still suffering a disheartening double-digit loss.
Unsurprisingly, Steph Curry led all scorers with 46 points on 15-for-25 shooting. It marked Curry's second-highest scoring night of what is already an MVP-caliber season, and the 60 percent accuracy from the field was his third-best total in the category to date in the 2015-16 campaign. Curry drained eight three-pointers on the night–which tied his season high from beyond the arc– at an unbelievable 62 percent clip. The remaining four Warriors starters also posted double-digit scoring nights and made solid contributions of their own, led by Draymond Green's 23-point, 12-rebound double-double.
The Warriors remain undefeated at 10-0, retaining the top spots in both the Pacific Division and Western Conference, and sporting the best overall record in the league. They head home for a Saturday night tilt versus the Brooklyn Nets.
The Timberwolves posted their second-highest scoring night of the season, having tallied 117 points in a surprising victory over the Hawks on Monday. Minnesota received double-digit scoring performances from starters Andrew Wiggins (who returned from a one-game absence due to a knee injury), Zach LaVine (who replaced the injured Ricky Rubio), and rookie sensation Karl Anthony-Towns, who posted his fourth consecutive double-double and sixth overall on the season. The reserves also got in on the fun, led by Shabazz Muhammad (16 points) and Kevin Martin (15 points). Backup center Gorgui Dieng and 17-year veteran Andre Miller contributed a pair of 11-point efforts.
The Timberwolves dropped to 4-4 on the season and are in a three-way tie with the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets for second place behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference's Northwest Division. They head to Indiana for the second game of a back-to-back versus the Pacers.
