OAKLAND–At the end of the third quarter, there were still rumblings of a 150-point night for the Golden State Warriors.
At the end of the third quarter, there were still rumblings of a Minnesota Timberwolves comeback win.
If you’re taken by the art of scoring, the 126-113 Warriors’ win at Oracle Arena was the premier exhibition across the NBA on Thursday evening. In the midst of their 39th victory of the season, Golden State set the NBA record for fast break points in a half (39), drilled eight third quarter threes and crossed the 100-point threshold with two and a half minutes to go before the start of the fourth quarter.
Yet with nearly 15 minutes left to play on Thursday, a Minnesota team playing on the back end of a back-to-back and without Jimmy Butler was threatening the reigning NBA champs and whittling the Warriors’ lead down toward single digits. At various points in another explosive third quarter, the Timberwolves even appeared poised to make a serious run at the Warriors’ advantage, but four three-pointers from Klay Thompson and a barrage of easy buckets for Golden State kept Tom Thibodeau’s squad just out of range.
At the start of the fourth quarter, when Warriors’ MVPs Steph Curry and Kevin Durant went to the bench, Minnesota finally struck fear in the hearts of Golden State, as the Wolves opened the frame on a 6-0 run and capitalized on a shooting drought enough to force the Warriors into at least feign interest on the defensive side of the floor.
Though Curry, Thompson and Durant had all crossed the 20-point threshold by the start of the fourth quarter, the Warriors’ offense hit a frustrating lull as the normally-dependable David West struggled to ignite the team’s second unit. Instead of extending its lead, Golden State watched as Jamal Crawford went on a scoring binge to keep Minnesota within striking distance.
However, once Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr inserted Curry and Durant back into the lineup, the team’s two All-Star starters helped Golden State on a mini-run that preserved the edge. A Durant bucket and a Curry assist pushed the Warriors’ lead back up to 13 points with just under six minutes left, and without Butler to rely on, the Wolves couldn’t match the Warriors’ firepower.
The combination of Durant and Curry re-entering the game together was a welcome sight to Oracle Arena fans who learned Thursday evening that the two players will be separated in this year’s All-Star Game. During the All-Star draft, Cavs’ forward LeBron James selected Durant with the first overall pick, leaving Curry in a tough spot. The Warriors’ point guard redeemed himself by grabbing Thompson and Draymond Green during the selection of All-Star reserves, so Curry’s squad will have a pre 2016-2017 flair.
In the closing minutes, Minnesota did wind up cutting Golden State’s lead down to six, but Kerr’s Hampton’s Five lineup had enough juice to break away again. With 1:36 remaining, a wide open Curry three from the corner served as the dagger, as the Warriors shot down another Western Conference challenger.