Anthony Edwards led the charge with 23 points and secured the victory for the Minnesota Timberwolves with three of four successful free throws in the final 12 seconds against the Golden State Warriors, sealing a 114-110 win on Sunday night.
Contributing to the win, Naz Reid tallied 20 points and matched his season-high with 12 rebounds, while Rudy Gobert added 17 points and 12 rebounds, as the Wolves equaled their season-best performance with 21 3-pointers out of 40 attempts.
Despite Steph Curry’s impressive 31-point performance for the Warriors, he missed a crucial tying 3-point attempt with just 1:27 remaining.
After grabbing a rebound from an errant 3-point shot by Edwards, Curry swiftly drove to the basket for a layup, narrowing the lead to one. However, Edwards capitalized on fouls, sinking two crucial free throws, and secured a missed 3-pointer from Klay Thompson, a play Wolves assistant coach Micah Nori had highlighted in the huddle.
Mike Conley contributed 14 points and seven assists for the Wolves (49-22), trailing just one game behind Denver (50-21) in the Western Conference standings and half a game behind Oklahoma City (49-21). Meanwhile, the Nuggets overtook the Thunder after their loss to Milwaukee on Sunday.
Despite trailing by 12 points in the first half, the Wolves showcased their outside shooting prowess, particularly in tribute to Curry’s sharpshooting abilities.
With Curry resting late in the third quarter and into the fourth during a five-game stretch in eight days, the Wolves bench players stepped up, notably Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who nailed three 3-pointers during a pivotal run.
The Warriors’ lone visit to Minnesota this season allowed both teams ample time to reflect on their previous matchups, including consecutive wins by the Wolves in San Francisco, one of which saw Draymond Green ejected early on for a physical altercation with Gobert.
Struggling to find their rhythm, the Warriors faced scrutiny after a lackluster performance in a home loss to Indiana on Friday, with their hold on the 10th spot in the Western Conference playoff race becoming increasingly precarious with Houston surging just one game behind.
Despite a rocky start with eight turnovers in their first 17 possessions and a season-low 18 points in the first quarter, Reid’s stellar performance from beyond the arc helped lift the Wolves to victory once again, maintaining his impressive average of 14.6 points against the Warriors in 15 career games, the second-highest against any NBA team.
“We’re very deep. This team is tremendous,” Reid said. “Everybody puts their best foot forward, so everybody has the right intentions. Everybody has the right mindset. It’s anybody’s day at any moment.”
