Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) front center, guard Draymond Green left gets into a first half brawl with the Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (back) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Nov 14, 2023 (AP News photo)
By Jerry Feitelberg
The Golden State Warriors (6-6) did not have guard Stephen Curry in Tuesday night’s starting Lineup. The Warriors had the veteran Chris Paul sub for Curry, and Steve Kerr started Dario Saric instead of Kevon Looney. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were in the Warriors starting lineup. The Warriors ended up losing their fourth straight game and getting swept in the two game set by the Minnesota Timberwolves (8-2) 105-101.
Things went downhill quickly. With less than two minutes played, Thompson and the Wolves’ Jaden McDaniels got into quite a skirmish. It appeared that McDaniels grabbed Klay’s arm as the teams were in transition.
Thompson took umbrage with McDaniels holding his arm, and McDaniels answered by grabbing and ripping Thompson’s jersey. Green put a chokehold on Rudy Gobert as the Wolves’ Gobert attempted to pull the players apart. The referees ejected Thompson, Green, and McDaniels. Not a single point was on the scoreboard when this happened. The Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, had to revamp his lineup quickly.
Kerr inserted rookie Brandin Podziemski as the shooting guard. The young man, drafted in the first round by the Warriors, showed the fans at Chase Center that he could play in the NBA. While the Warriors fell to the Wolves, Podziemski wowed everyone in the arena.
Up to this point in the season, Curry was the only Warriors to put 20 or more points on the board this season. Podziemski played 38 minutes and recorded 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and one steal. Podziemski made three three in eight tries. Kerr now knows the young man from Santa Clara University will be getting more minutes of playing time in the future.
Minnesota, even without McDaniels, had four stars in their lineup. Karl-Anthony Towns had a season-high 33 points. Towns pulled down 11 boards and made five threes. Anthony Edwards finished with 320. Edward made a three late in the fourth quarter to put the Wolves ahead 96-95.
The Warriors behind Podziemski, Dario Saric, and Chris Paul won the first quarter 30-22. The Wolves had to be surprised at the play of the Warriors’ reserves. The Warriors maintained the lead at the end of the first half, leading by five, 59-54.
The Warriors continued to play well in the third quarter. Saric and Podziemski continued to put points on the board. Podziemski hit a three at the buzzer to put the Warriors ahead by seven, 83-76. The Warriors had to play well in the fourth quarter if they hoped to upset the Wolves.
Minnesota came into the game, owning the best defense in the NBA. The Wolves stopped the Warrior offense cold at the start of the fourth quarter. The Wolves went on a 7-0 run to tie the game. From that point until late in the quarter, it was a dogfight.
Neither team could pull away. Saric hit a three to make it 98-96. Towns hit a three to put the Wolves ahead by one, 99-98. The Wolves Michael Conley knocked down a three to increase the lead to 104-98. Moses Moody connected on a three to close the gap to 104-101. It was too little, too late. The Wolves ran out the clock to preserve the win.
Game Notes: The Warriors lost their fourth game in a row to even their record at 6-6. Minnesota improved to 8-2
Saric had 21, and Podziemski 23. These two players join Curry as the only players to score 20 or more points in a game this season. Kerr had to be pleased with the contributions of Moody (11), and Chris Paul (15). Backup Guard Cory Joseph had six, and Gary Payton II added seven.
There may be additional penalties for the melee early in the game. Draymond Green may be suspended for attacking Rudy Gobert and putting a choke hold on him.
The Warriors play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 p.m.










