Warriors at Timberwolves
Fresh off their worst offensive performance of the season in a rare loss, the Golden State Warriors will try to reestablish their dominance when they finish up a road trip by visiting the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. The Warriors scored a season-low 79 points in an eight-point loss at San Antonio with star Stephen Curry struggling to 1-of-12 from 3-point range.
The Spurs own the best defense in the NBA and the Timberwolves own one of the worst, so Golden State should be in for a different type of game on Monday. The Warriors were held under 20 points in three of four quarters on Saturday and now own only a three-game lead over San Antonio for the top spot in the Western Conference. Golden State still remains one game ahead of the pace set by the record-setting 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and will need to go 11-2 over the final 13 games to break the record for regular-season wins. Minnesota sits at the bottom of the Northwest Division but is coming off an impressive road trip that included wins at Oklahoma City and Memphis.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (62-7): Golden State was playing the second night of a back-to-back after a win in Dallas on Friday and was without Andrew Bogut (toe) and Andre Iguodala (ankle) but still had its chances against the Spurs. Curry and Klay Thompson, who combined for 70 points in the win over the Mavericks on Friday, were a combined 2-of-19 from 3-point range and both missed from beyond the arc in the final 30 seconds as the Warriors were trying to rally back. Golden State plays eight of its next nine at home after leaving Minnesota but will face San Antonio twice in the last four games as it closes in on the record.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (22-47): Minnesota is measuring its season in the progression of its young players, and Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine are all making strides forward. Towns is well on his way to the Rookie of the Year Award and collected 32 points and 11 rebounds at Houston on Friday to record his fourth straight double-double. Wiggins is averaging 20 points on 55.5 percent shooting this month and LaVine went 13-of-23 from 3-point range on the four-game road trip.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Minnesota PF Gorgui Dieng averaged 16.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in the last four games.
2. Warriors SF Brandon Rush started in place of Bogut in a small lineup on Saturday.
3. Curry scored 46 points in Golden State’s 129-116 win at Minnesota on Nov. 12.