What we learned as Steph, TJD and Podz led Warriors’ win over Wolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
After leading the Timberwolves through the first half and the second Saturday night in Minnesota, the Warriors once again faced their most common demons.
Would they squander another double-digit lead in the second half?
Stephen Curry answered by scoring 13 points in the final 3:38 to secure a 113-103 victory that gave Golden State its second victory in 16 days, with both coming against Minnesota.
Five Warriors scored in double figures, with Curry finishing with a game-high 31 and adding 10 assists. Brandin Podziemski (12 points), Jonathan Kuminga (11) and Buddy Hield (11) combined for 34 of Golden State’s 46 bench points.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, who made his first start this month, finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.
Here are three observations from a feel-good win for the Warriors:
The sixteenth setup is okay in the short term
Coach Steve Kerr continues to tinker with lineups, sometimes due to injuries and sometimes out of sheer desperation. When Draymond Green, listed as questionable due to left ankle soreness, was ruled out after his pre-match warm-up, it was time to tinker again.
Golden State opened with its 16th starting lineup of the season: Dennis Schröder and Curry at guard, Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson at forward, with Jackson-Davis at center. It was Anderson’s first start of the season; he was the only player in the rotation who had not started at least once.
It worked well in the first half, as the Warriors led from the opening tip, went up by as many as 21 points, and took a 13-point lead at intermission. Jackson-Davis was particularly effective early on, producing six points, six rebounds and two blocks in the first six minutes.
The same lineup opened the second half, but was ineffective against the assembled Timberwolves. The first-half gain was wiped out in less than eight minutes as Minnesota’s increased determination led to 71.4 percent shooting in the third quarter.
The mixed results indicate there will almost certainly be a different lineup, likely as soon as Monday.
Solid early defense, even without Draymond
Although Green was “questionable” on the injury report due to left ankle soreness, Kerr was hopeful – until Draymond’s pre-game warm-up convinced the Warriors to sit him down.
So much for setting an early defensive tone, eh?
Well no.
The Warriors held Minnesota to one field goal in the first four minutes and closed the first quarter on a 13–5 run to take a 26–15 lead. They hung in there in the second quarter and went on a 10-0 run in the first four minutes.
The Timberwolves missed 14 consecutive shots while going more than seven minutes without a bucket. The Warriors outscored the Timberwolves 16-0 in that span, limiting them to 27.3 percent shooting, including 23.5 percent from deep, in the first half.
The Warriors played some of their best defense of the season through the first 24 minutes. That they did that without Draymond has to be encouraging.
Schröder, Game 2
Schröder’s Golden State debut was so forgettable for himself and his new team that his second game had to be an improvement. It was. Slightly.
Once again starting at point guard, allowing Curry to spend more minutes off the ball, Schröder looked like the teammates he joined five days ago. He wasn’t sharp, but he was more confident in his movements and showed more enthusiasm to communicate.
Schröder finished with nine points on 3-for-8 shooting from the field, including 0-for-4 from beyond the arc, with three assists and two rebounds. He had three turnovers and was minus-9 through 27 minutes.
Schröder is getting closer to better coordination with his teammates. Once that happens, his offensive production should follow suit.
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