Warriors at Timberwolves
The Golden State Warriors will attempt to move quickly past a rare sloppy performance when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. The Warriors committed a season-high 23 turnovers in Saturday's somewhat stunning 110-89 setback at Memphis, as sharpshooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson each went 4-of-14 from the field.
Thompson was held to eight points in his first single-digit effort of the season as Golden State scored fewer than 90 points for the first time since March 19 at San Antonio. Thompson has missed all seven of his 3-pointers in the last two games and is 17-of-45 from the floor in three contests since his 60-point outburst against Indiana on Monday. The Timberwolves have lost five in a row at home and nine straight against the Warriors at Target Center. They suffered an ugly 117-90 setback against Detroit on Friday, prompting point guard Ricky Rubio to tell reporters that his team was "playing with no heart."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (20-4): Curry and Draymond Green had four turnovers apiece and combined for just four assists as Golden State finished with 15 in that category, far and away a season low. Curry made 3-of-11 3-pointers and has joined Thompson in a bit of a cold spell with eight makes in 35 attempts from long distance over the past four contests. The dynamic backcourt combined to bury 8-of-17 in a 115-102 home win over Minnesota last month.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (6-17): Minnesota's current 1-7 swoon began with its loss at Golden State on Nov. 27, when guard Zach LaVine told reporters of the Warriors, "It's an All-Star team and you've just got to go up against them, be confident, and that's what we are." LaVine, who scored 31 points in that loss, has been playing with plenty of confidence of late and is averaging 21.6 points on 50.6 percent shooting this month. Rubio has 33 assists against only five turnovers in the same stretch and big man Karl-Anthony Towns has four straight double-doubles.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Golden State has won 15 of the last 17 meetings.
2. Warriors C Zaza Pachulia was scratched before tip-off Saturday with a sore wrist.
3. Timberwolves F Nemanja Bjelica is day-to-day after missing the loss to the Pistons with a sore right ankle.