The Minnesota Timberwolves bounced back in emphatic fashion on Thursday night, delivering a dominant wire-to-wire performance to defeat the Golden State Warriors and even their Western Conference semifinal series at 1-1.
Playing in front of a fired-up crowd in Minneapolis, Minnesota showed no signs of the offensive woes that plagued them in Game 1, racing out to an early lead and never looking back in a 109-91 victory.
Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards Power Timberwolves
- Julius Randle was the driving force for Minnesota, tallying 24 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds in a well-rounded performance.
- Anthony Edwards added 20 points and 9 rebounds, playing through an ankle scare to fuel the Timberwolves' high-energy display.
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker delivered a key spark off the bench with 20 points and 4 three-pointers, helping five Timberwolves finish in double figures.
Minnesota’s improved defensive intensity was a major factor in the win. Edwards admitted after the game that film study revealed effort—not just poor shooting—was to blame for their Game 1 loss.
“It wasn’t just that we didn’t make our shots — it was our defensive effort and intensity,” Edwards said. “We knew we had to bring it today.”
Warriors Struggle Without Steph Curry
Playing without Stephen Curry, who is out with a hamstring injury and expected to miss at least a week, the Warriors fell behind early and couldn’t recover. Minnesota set the tone in the opening minutes, jumping out to a 25-7 lead.
- Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State with 18 points off the bench.
- Jimmy Butler, also coming off the bench, contributed 17 points.
Golden State briefly cut the deficit to seven points (62-55) midway through the third quarter, thanks to a mini-run fueled by Butler and Kuminga. However, the Timberwolves answered with a 20-5 run to close the quarter, effectively sealing the win with an 85-65 lead entering the final period.
With no reliable perimeter shooting threat in Curry's absence, the Warriors were unable to mount another comeback. Head coach Steve Kerr pulled his starters with four minutes remaining, conceding defeat.
“We’re trying to figure out what we’re going to be able to do in this series without Steph,” Kerr said postgame. “We made a spirited run, but then lost composure. We’ll learn from this.”
Series Outlook
- The series now shifts to San Francisco for Game 3 on Saturday.
- Stephen Curry is expected to remain sidelined, forcing Golden State to adapt quickly if they hope to regain momentum.
Final Score: Timberwolves 109, Warriors 91
Series: Tied 1-1
Next Game: Saturday, May 11 in San Francisco
Check out the stats here.
