Tag: Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: No.10 Warriors hear No.11 Rockets footsteps in battle for play in spot Thursday night

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) scores on the Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic in second half action at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Apr 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Close game Dave on Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic triple doubled but the Golden State Warriors got by with a four point 104-100 win.

#2 The Warriors have over come plenty of adversity they struggled in March but as soon as the post season is around the corner they’ve turned it on winning five straight. Could they finish with a play in or better?

#3 Warriors open a two game road trip in Houston on Thursday night against the Houston Rockets (38-37). The Rockets are coming off two loses and they’ve had a hot run previously and are just behind the Warriors in 11th place trying to catch the Warriors for that last play in spot.

Join David Zizmor for the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors win thriller beat Dallas Mavericks 104-100

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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) celebrates guard Klay Thompson (11) in the second half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Apr 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (41-34), winners of their last four road games, returned home to face the Dallas Mavericks (45-30). The Mavs were also on a roll, having won seven straight. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are the Mavs’ scoring leaders. The Warriors came away with another win defeating the Mavericks on Tuesday night at Chase Center 104-100.

Doncic averages 34 points a game, and Irving averages 25 points a game. The Warriors’ game plan was to stop those two superstars and hope the defense could come through in crunch time. Dallas’ coach, who went to St. Joseph’s High School in Alameda and two years at Cal, wanted his team to put the clamps on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

Both teams played wonderful defense. It was like a playoff game Tuesday night. There were several ties and several lead changes. The winner would not be determined until late in the game. The Warriors kept attacking the rim late in the game. The Mavs were called twice for goaltending. The Warriors held on to win 104-100.

The Mavs started strong, sinking three three-pointers to open the game. However, the Warriors, led by Andrew Wiggins’ impressive seven-point contribution in the first quarter, fought back to tie the game at 14. A crucial basket from Chris Paul at the end of the period gave the Warriors a narrow 28-27 lead. 

The Mavs led 34-28 when the Warriors went on a 19-2 run to lead 47-34. Dallas came roaring back. The Mavs finished the first half with a 15-2 run to tie the game 49-49. Doncic, with 17, and Kyrie Irving, with 12, punished the Warriors’ defense to force the tie.

The Mavericks started the third quarter with a 10-2 run to lead 59-51. Andrew Wiggins made two threes and two two-point buckets to tie the game 61-61. The Mavs scored the next seven points to lead 68-61. Behind Moses Moody’s two threes and buckets by Curry and Wiggins, the Warriors tied the game at 71-71. The Warriors outscored the Mavs 9-2 to finish the third quarter leading 80-74.

Each team knew a six-point lead was relatively easy to overcome in the fourth quarter. Could the Warrior’s stop Doncic and Irving? Would Thompson and Curry play well in the last 12 minutes? Would the bench players rise to the occasion? The Warriors answered all the questions in the affirmative.

Thompson started the quarter by making a steal and a three-point basket. Brandin Podziemski connected from downtown. Chris Paul and Wiggins each made a basket, and the Warriors led 90-79. Dallas responded with a 13-2 run to tie the game 92-92.

Thomson made a two-point bucket to stall the Dallas offense. Green made the next two baskets to put the Warriors ahead 98-92 with 1:48 left to play. Green made the defensive play of the night when he made a steal and then put the ball through the hoop at the other end to give the Warriors an eight-point lead 100-92.

Kyrie Irving hit a three, closing the gap to five points. Wiggins made it 102-95. The Mavs’ J P Washington connected from downtown to trail by four 102-98 with 25.9 seconds left. The Mavs’ strategy was to score quickly and then foul.

The Mavs blocked Thompson’s layup attempt, and Irving scored at the other end to make the score 102-100. The fans were biting their nail and were hoping the Warriors would find a way to win the game. The Mavs then fouled Thompson in the backcourt.

Thompson, was 92% from the free-throw line) cooly sunk two free throws. There was just 10.3 seconds left to play. Warrior’s head coach, Steve Kerr, made sure that his players knew not to foul anyone attempting to make a three-point shot. The Warriors’ defense met the challenge. Dallas was not able to get a shot off before the buzzer sounded. The Warriors win a thriller 104-100.

Game Notes: The Warriors are now 41-34 with the win. The Warriors have seven games left and have a three-game lead over the Houston Rockets for the tenth spot in the Western Conference. The Rockets lost to Minnesota Wednesday night and are 38-37.  

The Mavericks’ record is now 45-30. The Warriors extended their winning streak to five games, snapping the Mavs’ seven-game win streak.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 23 points. Thompson and Paul each had 14. Curry had 13. Moses Moody had 12. Moody made four threes. Green added 11. 

The Warriors shot 44.6% from the floor. Each team made 15 threes. With the smallest team in the NBA, the Warriors outrebounded the bigger Mavs 57-48. 

Doncic led the Mavs with 30 points. Doncic also had a triple-double. Doncic pulled down 12 boards and had 11 assists. Irving finished with 27. P J Washington recorded 20 points, and he made three threes. Daniel Gafford was the only other Maverick in double-figures with ten. 

The Warrior bench outscored the Dallas Bench 39-13. 

The Warriors are back on the road again. The Warriors play the Houston Rockets Thursday night and then play the Mavericks again Friday night in Dallas.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Each game is crucial nine games left as Warriors try to hold onto a play in position

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Golden State Warriors Draymond Green (23) makes a point to let all on the floor know he just scored a basket against the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Sun Mar 31, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara:

  1. With the season rapidly winding down, only nine games left, every game is critical on this road trip which is an important one for the Warriors.

2. After a misstep a couple of games ago Draymond Green has come back with a vengeance playing some of his best basketball of the season. He was a huge part of this win.

3. Green had a lot of help with of course his partners Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. The Warriors continues to miss Jonathan Kuminga but hopes are that he is close to returning possibly Tuesday night against the Mavericks..

4. The Spurs gave the Warriors a run for their money in the fourth quarter San Antonio led by the amazing Victor Wembanyama.

5. Tuesday night the Warrior are back home at Chase Center taking on the fifth place Dallas Mavericks.

Join Barbara Mason for the Golden State Warriors podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Sneak Past Spurs 117-113

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The Golden State Warriors Draymond Green (23) looks to find someone to pass the basketball to against San Antonio Spurs defenders Tre Jones (23) and Cedi Osman at Frost Bank Arena in San Antonio on Sun Mar 31, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (40-34) got a bit of a slow start in their game against the San Antonio Spurs (18-57) Sunday afternoon. It was the third quarter that was the deciding factor in this game. They outscored the Spurs 37-21 in the third and every one those points were needed as they went into the fourth quarter.

The Spurs got to within two points in the final minute of play but Golden State held on for the 117-113 win. Draymond Green played a huge role in this game offensively and defensively.

Game recap: This was a tale of two halves. The Spurs got a solid start in the game leading after the first 12 minutes 34-27. San Antonio went on to barely outscore the Warriors in the second quarter 26-25 leading at the half by eight points 60-57.

Golden State turned the tables in the third quarter playing with some incredible intensity. They hit 14 of 24 shot attempts, made five free throws and only had one turnover. The Warriors outscored the Spurs by a landslide 37-21 turning a halftime eight point deficit to an eight point lead 89-81 going into the fourth quarter.

The Spurs did continue to fight and early in the fourth quarter San Antonio had pulled to within five points 94-89 with 8:49 left in the game. Green was having a terrific game with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists and six steals.

After this long road trip, a game like this was exactly the kind of game the Warriors needed. Everyone was on board for this game. With under one minute left in the game the Spurs trailed by two points 113-111. Klay Thompson hit a critical three to give the Warriors a 116-111 lead with 28.6 left in the game.

Victor Wembanyama hit a couple of free throws for a one possession game with 3.2 left on the clock. Draymond Green hit 1 of 2 from the line giving the Warriors a 117-113 lead and that would be the final. The Warriors had completed a 4-1 road trip as they head home to Chase.

The Warriors had a terrific third quarter but the Spurs refused to back down winning the fourth quarter 32-28. Golden State barely squeaked by for the 117-113 win. Curry had the team high with 33 points.

This was an amazing showing from Green who continues to play some terrific offense and defense. He finished this game with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists and 6 steals. He was a huge force in this game.

Golden State had 15 steals in the game and shot for almost 49% from the field and hit 16 shots from beyond the arc. The Warriors finished with 42 points in the paint. Hopefully the team will see Jonathan Kuminga back on the court sooner rather than later. He could possibly take the court Tuesday night when the team takes on the Mavericks.

The Spurs Wembanyama finished with an amazing 32 points. He is a force to reckon with every time he takes the court. The kid is special and at 7’4″ he improves with every game.

Game recap: Easter Sunday afternoon the Warriors traveled to San Antonio taking on the Spurs. The Warriors had to keep an eye on Wembanyama throughout the game. Wembanyama is always a threat being one of the brightest young stars in the game today. The Warriors took the court without Kuminga still out with bilateral knee tendinitis. This is his third straight missed game. In Sunday’s game, the Warriors got road win number 22.

As this current road trip comes to an end, the Warriors will now head home to Chase Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 7:00 PM and can be viewed on TNT.

Warriors Easily Handle Hornets 115-97; Curry scores 23 to lead Golden State

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By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (39-34) beat the struggling Charlotte Hornets (18-55) Friday night. The Hornets got close a few times in this game but could not handle the Warriors despite Golden State being without Jonathan Kuminga and Klay Thompson. The final score was 115-97.

Game recap: The Warriors were off to the races from the start of the first quarter leading after the first 12 minutes 26-17. The Hornets pushed back outscoring Golden State in the second quarter 28-24 and at halftime Golden State had a 50-45 lead.

This game was close partially due to the eight turnovers in the first half by the Warriors but the good news for Golden State was that they had held the Hornets to 36% shooting. With the Warriors shooting around 51%, 36 % will not win very many games.

The Warriors really pushed this game out in the third quarter after the Hornets pulled to within six points. After the first seven minutes of the quarter Golden State began to take this game away leading 77-59. After three quarters, the Warriors had this game well in hand, despite the drama that has plagued the team, leading 89-71. The Warriors were 12 minutes away from their 21st win on the road.

The Warriors upped their intensity mid-way through the fourth quarter leading 108-87. The final was 115-97 in favor of Golden State. For the third straight game, the Warriors had held their opponent to under a 100 points. With this season winding down there can be no further missteps this season and they really did a number on Charlotte Friday. Golden State is on a roll right now. They are 13-3 on their last 16 road trips.

Stephen Curry had the high with 23 points and Andrew Wiggins continues to step up scoring 20 points with eight rebounds. Off the bench Moses Moody had 15 points and he was 4 of 5 from beyond the Arc. Draymond Green came back well in this game with eight points and eight rebounds. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Chris Paul also scored double digits. This was a true team win with everybody chipping in.

Post game notes: Friday night the Warriors took on the Hornets for the second time this season. The Warriors won the first game back on February 23 by the score of 97-84. They won this game but Golden State has seen far stranger things especially since the season is winding down.

The Warriors are reeling after Green had his fourth ejection of the season. Green did say that he deserved to be ejected but the question still remains why does this keep happening?

This is a critical time of the season for the Warriors and they can ill afford any more blow-ups from Green while they are fighting to remain relevant in the playoff picture. They are currently fighting to remain in the tenth place.

Despite the ejection, the Warriors stepped up big time against a very tough Orlando Magic winning that game 101-93. Andrew Wiggins was a huge part of the win scoring the team high of 23 points.

The Hornets are struggling this season but had a huge win over the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night. The Warriors played without Kuminga who continues to miss another game with left knee soreness and Thompson who missed tonight’s game with right knee tendinitis.

The Hornets LaMelo Ball will miss the remainder of the season with ankle tendinopathy. He has not played since January 26th and originally was injured last year on November 26th. He has missed so many games this season and is a large part of the struggles that Charlotte has had.

Easter Sunday afternoon the Golden State Warriors will take on another struggling team in the San Antonio Spurs. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Warriors grind out a win over Magic 101-93; Green gets 4th ejection of season

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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) tries to keep the ball away from Orlando Magic forward Pablo Banchero (5) in the first half in Orlando on Wed Mar 27, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The stage was set for an intense battle as the Warriors squared off against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night in Orlando. The Magic, boasting a formidable lineup with five players towering over six feet ten inches and one at six feet nine inches, currently sit atop the Southeast Division with an impressive record of 42-29.

The absence of the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga only added to the challenge. The Magic, known for their defensive prowess, rank among the top four defensive teams in the NBA. They also lead the league in the number of free throws taken, a testament to their aggressive style of play. The Warriors, facing a significant height disadvantage, knew they had their work cut out for them.

To make matters worse, Draymond Green was charged with two technical fouls with less than four minutes of action. Draymond was ejected. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, had to find a way to beat the Magic.

The Magic’s game plan was to bottle up Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Keeping those two under their season’s averages meant someone had to step up. Andrew Wiggins was the man. Wiggins scored 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. Wiggins blocked a shot late in the game to help the Warriors hold off the Magic. The Warriors held on a late Magic run to win the game 101-93.

The Magic scored the game’s first basket to lead 2-0. With the score tied 6-6, Wiggins was called for a foul. Green argued with the referee and received his first technical foul. As the Refs walked up the court, Green did something that got him his second technical and an automatic ejection.

The Magic’s last lead came with a score of 8-6. The Warriors went on a 21-4 run to finish the quarter leading 27-11. Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Thompson paced the Warrior offense.

The Magic’s offense fought back in the second quarter. The Magic outscored the Dubs by eight, 26-18, to finish the first half trailing 45-37. Both teams were playing excellent defense. The Warriors held the Magic to 37 points in the half.

Last Night in Miami, The Warriors held the Heat to 32 points in the second half. Even without Green, the Warriors showed the NBA they know how to defend. Wiggins, Thompson, and Podziemski were excellent, keeping the much bigger Magic squad from scoring points in the paint.

Wiggins and Thompson led the Warriors with seven points in the half. Curry had six. Moses Moody knocked a key three and had five in the half. Podziemski and Gary Payton II each had six. The leading scorer for Orlando was Paolo Branchero, who scored nine. The Warriors’ defense held the Magic to 30% from the floor.

Things changed in the third quarter. The Magic, the worst team in the league shooting threes, connected on four threes to trail 49-41. The Magic’s Cole Anthony connected on five threes to help his team close the gap. The Warriors regrouped and led by 15, 63-48, after Gui Santos hit a three. Orlando went on an 11-2 run to trail by six, 65-59. The Magic won the quarter 29-27 to trail by six, 72-66 at the end of three quarters.

Wiggins hit a three to start the fourth quarter. The Magic hit a three, and Wiggins hit another three. The Warriors had an answer for every Magic bucket, but the Magic kept on coming. With the score 94-88, Orlando hit a three to make it 94-91. The Warriors failed to score. Orlando made a two-point play to trail by one, 94-93. Payton made a three, and Curry scored the game’s last five points. The Warriors win 101-93.

Game Notes: The Warriors are now 38-34. They have ten games left in the regular season. They play the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night in Charlotte. The Magic fell to 42-30.

Wiggins had one of his best games of the season. He led the team with 23 points, pulled down six rebounds, and blocked a shot late in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors win. Curry finished with a double-double. Curry scored 17 points and had ten assists. Curry made three threes.

Thomson tallied 15, and he, too, had three threes. Moody had 12, Gary Payton ten. The Warriors shot 44% from the floor as a team and made ten threes. The Warrior’s defense held the Magic to 42%. The Magic also made ten threes. The leading score for Orlando was Cole Anthony. Coming off the bench, Anthony recorded 26 points. He made five threes in seven tries. Banchero had 15, and Franz Wagner added 14.

The Warrior’s game against the Hornets starts at 4 pm Friday.

Warriors get much needed win beat Heat 113-92; Thompson with 28 pts in win

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Guard Klay Thompson (11) takes a lay up to the hoop for the Golden State Warriors against the Miami Heat’s guard Patty Mills (88) at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Tue Mar 26, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (37-34) got a much-needed win Tuesday night, beating the Miami Heat (39-33) 113-92. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted Klay Thompson back into the Warriors’ starting lineup.

Thompson had played well coming off the bench. Kerr knew the Heat had several key players unavailable for Tuesday’s game. Jimmy Butler was out with an illness. The Heat’s best three-point shooter, Duncan Robinson, could not play due to a back problem. Tyler Herro and Kevin Love were sidelined due to foot injuries.

The Heat used a full-court press to slow down the Warrior’s offense. Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis did not play as he was not feeling well. Kerr had Kevon Looney replace Trayce in the second unit. Looney tallied seven points and pulled six rebounds in 18 minutes of playing time.

The Warriors knew the keys to the game were playing well on defense, not committing fouls, and not turning the ball over. The Warriors accomplished all three tasks.

The Warriors had an early eight-point lead in the first quarter, 20-12. The Heat’s Bam Abedayo made three consecutive two-point buckets to make it 20-18. The Heat finished the quarter leading 26-24. Each team scored 29 points in the second quarter.

Abedayo and Haywood Highsmith paced the Heat’s offense. Each player tallied 13 points in the first half. Klay Thompson, with 15, was the only Warrior in double figures in the first half. Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins each had seven. Jonathan Kuminga added eight. The Warriors trailed by two, 55-53, after two periods of play.

The Warriors came to play in the second half. Golden State won the third quarter 32-20. Thompson, Wiggins, and Curry were the players who took the Warriors to a ten-point lead, 95-85, at the end of the third quarter. Kuminga added to the Warriors’ offense in the fourth quarter.

Kuminga went high over the rim to score a basket after a three-point shot bounced high. The Warrior bench could not believe Kuminga’s athleticism on the play. The Warriors outscored the Heat 28-17 in the fourth quarter to win 113-92. 

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 37-34. The Heat fell to 39-33.

As a team, The Warriors shot 55% from the floor. The Warriors made 13 threes in 38 tries. The Heat was eight for thirty-three from downtown. The Warriors’ defense held the Heat to 41% from the floor. The Warriors had six steals and five blocks.

Golden State committed ten turnovers, and the Heat only made ten of 13 free throws. The defense held the Heat to 37 points in the second half. Kerr’s game plan worked to perfection. 

The Warriors won their 19th road game and avoided a fourth-quarter collapse. They had lost eleven times after leading by ten or more points after the third quarter.

Thompson led the Warriors with 28 points, connecting on six threes. Kuminga had 18 points and seven rebounds. Wiggins had 17 points and seven boards, and Curry also had 17 points and six assists.

The Heat had six players in double figures: Abedayo had 24, Terry Rozier and Haywood Highsmith had 15, Nikola Jovic had 11, Jaime Kaquez had 12, and Caleb Martin had 10.

The Warriors play again Wednesday night in Orlando. The Magic lead the Southeast Division with a record of 42-29. The Warriors need to be at their best to get a win. The game will start at 4 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors hear the Rockets footsteps for that last play in spot

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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr looks befuddled over the Warriors trying to hold onto tenth place in the Western Conference. Kerr was seen here coaching against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Mon Mar 25, 2024 at the Target Center in Minneapolis (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 The Warriors had only 12 minutes left in the game before they had a chance to move into the win column but their star player guard Stephen Curry sat on the bench for five of those 12 minutes and the Warriors went down to a four point 114-110 loss at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Monday night.

#2 With the loss the Warriors lead over the 11th place Houston Rockets is down to just one game. The Rockets are coming on strong they’ve won nine straight games and they’re coming for the Warriors for the tenth place spot.

#3 The Warriors take on the Miami Heat tonight in Miami, the Heat are seventh in the Eastern Conference and have lost six of their last ten games. How do you see the Warriors chances going into this one tonight?

David Zizmor podcasts the Golden State Warriors each Wednesday at http://www.sporrsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors tip off with Heat Tuesday in Miami

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Stephen Curry guard Golden State Warriors (30) takes a shot in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sun Mar 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

On Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason:

  1. The Warriors are fighting for their playoff lives. They faced a tough game against the Minnesota Timberwolves who are currently playing without Karl-Anthony Towns. They will be facing the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic this coming week so they are facing a lot right.

2. The Timberwolves struggled early in Sunday’s game while the Warriors came out strong. Both teams played very well throughout the game but it was the crazy triples that the Timberwolves hit that spelled the difference as well as their defense.

3. The Warriors had a great first half but started to stumble in the second half. They needed to avoid a mental lapse and unfortunately they had a lapse to start the fourth quarter. Both teams had lapses in this game but it was Minnesota that pulled it all together in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

4. Although the Warriors lost this game, they had four of their starters in double digits as well as Klay Thomson with 16 off the bench. They put out a great effort but just fell short.

5. The Warriors now face a couple of tough assignments on the road in Florida. First up will be the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. With 12 games left in the season every game matters and the Warriors are faced with some huge challenges. They are looking at roughly nine really tough games but no team can be overlooked right now.

Listen to the Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Fall Short From Downtown Losing to the Timberwolves 114-110; Minnesota ties season high of 3’s with 21

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Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Ried (11) celebrates his three pointer against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sun Mar 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (36-33) played a terrific game for three quarters but fell short in the fourth losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves (48-22) 114-110. Despite playing without Karl-Anthony Towns Minnesota played very well after struggling through the first quarter.

It was the triples that the Timberwolves hit that sealed the win for Minnesota. They hit 21 in this game while the Warriors only had 14. Stephen Curry finished with 31 points but it was not enough to get past the Timberwolves.

Sunday evening the Warriors traveled to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. The Warriors have lost both games they have played against the Timberwolves this season and that was back in November. Both games were close.

On November 12 they lost by six points 116-110 and days later Golden State lost by the score of 104-101. The Warriors were having their struggles in late 2023 and they have turned things around in 2024 so all bets are off in this one.

The Timberwolves are having struggles of their own missing Karl-Anthony Towns who is dealing with a torn left knee meniscus. He had surgery to repair the knee in early March and will be re-evaluated in a month. This pushes his return into the month of April when the regular season will be winding down.

Towns has been a huge part of the Timberwolves rise into the top tier of the Western Conference and he has been missed. The Warriors had a great opportunity to handle this team without Towns as well as their solid starting roster along with their improved play.

Golden State needed this win trailing the Lakers by a game and a half and the Rockets on their heels a mere game and a half behind them but Golden State just couldn’t over come the Timberwolves in a four point 114-110 loss.

Game recap: The Warriors won the first quarter leading after the first 12 minutes 27-18 and by the half had forced 13 Minnesota turnovers. The Timberwolves got going in the second quarter winning the quarter by a single point 28-27.

Golden State took a 54-46 lead into the locker room at the half. Minnesota began to heat up in the first half hitting nine triples and out-rebounding the Warriors 24 to 18. Ball protection was huge for the Warriors who only had five turnovers so far in the game as well as hitting 46% from the field.

The Warriors 12-2 run in the first half and containing Rudy Gobert was a huge part of their halftime lead. Curry, Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins were all in double digits; Curry leading the pack with 14 points.

The Warriors had as much as a dozen point lead in the first half but the Timberwolves were hanging tight in the third quarter but still trailing 60-57. Golden State had their work cut out for them against the number one defensive team in the league.

Minnesota is also fourth in the league from downtown pushing their triple count to 12 in this game. The Warriors established a seven point lead 74-67 with 2:55 left in the third quarter. Minnesota got to within one point in the closing minute but Golden State pushed their lead back out to 81-78.

A single triple by the Timberwolves would tie up this game and so far the Warriors had been outscored by 18 points from the 3-point line. Curry had scored 22 points through three quarters. Golden State could not afford a mental lapse as this game went into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors started the fourth quarter with a couple of turnovers that the Timberwolves turned into two more triples taking a 84-81 lead. With ten minutes left in the game it was tied at 84 in another close game between the two conference foes.

The tide began to turn with under seven minutes left in the game. Minnesota continued to hit triples, 19 in total, taking a 97-89 lead. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the game Curry came back on the court instantly hitting a triple and cutting the Minnesota lead to 97-92.

With under six minutes left on the clock triples began to fly from both sides. With 41.0 seconds left in the game Minnesota had a five point lead 111-106.

The Warriors cut the Timberwolves lead to 111-110 with 14.9 seconds and the ball in Minnesota’s possession. This game was going down to the wire. Klay Thompson got a decent look at 11.2 and missed and that was the game 114-110 in favor of Minnesota.

The Minnesota Timberwolves dictated the pace of the game after the first quarter and their shooting from downtown was a huge part of tonight’s win for Minnesota. The Timberwolves had won all three games against Golden State this season. Anthony Edwards made some key shots in the game finishing with 23 points. They are now 25-9 at home this season.

It does not get any easier for the Warriors as they head into Florida to take on the Miami Heat Tuesday night followed by a matchup with the Orlando Magic Wednesday night. Both of these games are critical and both of them will be a tough call. Tipoff for the first of the two games Tuesday night is scheduled for 4:30 PM. 12 games are left in the season and it is going to be a photo finish.