The Target Center was rockin’ on Monday night as the Timberwolves lost a nail-bitter to the defending champion Warriors 109-104.
In a game where the home team was predicted to lose by more than 12 points, Minnesota looked to be the better team until the last two minutes of the contest.
Tied at 101, Draymond Green put in back-to-back buckets to give Golden State a four-point lead with under a minute left, a feat Minnesota failed to overcome.
Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Ricky Rubio all had tremendous games on both ends of the floor. The trio combined for 69 points, 20 rebounds, 17 assists and five steals. Zach LaVine also contributed nicely with 19 points on 7-for-13 from the field.
The Timberwolves did a great job all night flustering the reining NBA’s most valuable player Stephen Curry, holding him to 19 points on 6-for-17 shooting, 11 assists, seven rebounds and causing five turnovers.
Green was the clear standout for Golden State in tonight’s game, putting in 24 points (10-for-13), snatching nine rebounds, dishing out six assists and tallying three blocks and steals.
Numbers Game:
8- Despite a solid effort defensively, Minnesota’s bench didn’t contribute much on the offensive end as they combined for this many points while missing 10 total shots.
35.3- Curry came into tonight’s matchup averaging more than 30 points per game. Minnesota put together a solid game plan and held Curry to 19 points and this shooting percentage on the night.
7- In the final five minutes of the game, Golden State showed their championship stripes as they outscored Minnesota 12-5. In a competitive game throughout, a young and inexperienced team like the Timberwolves should be nothing but proud of their effort in tonight’s game.
Leader of the Pack: Karl-Anthony Towns
Going against the defensive monster that is Draymond Green, Towns put together a great performance, scoring 24 points (11-for-19) and grabbing 11 rebounds in 38 minutes of action.
Highlight of the Night:
Late in the second quarter Rubio stole a lazy pass from Curry that led to a huge alley-oop to none other than 36-year-old Tayshaun Prince!
Up Next:
Minnesota will stay home and take on the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday evening. The game will start at 7:00 p.m., so be sure to tune-in to either Fox Sports North or 830 WCCO radio.
