The Warriors entered the All-Star Break losers of four of their last five. After Tuesday, they came out of it by losing two of their first three.
With a thin roster due to injuries, the Warriors played an uninspiring game in Minnesota. The Warriors coughed up 17 turnovers, shot 28.9% from 3, and had no answer for Karl-Anthony Towns (39 points, nine rebounds).
Minnesota pulled away in the fourth, handing the Warriors (43-19) their sixth loss in their last eight contests. Stephen Curry dropped 34 points, but none of his teammates exceeded 20.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ loss.
Wiggins’ struggles continue
The fans who rooted for Andrew Wiggins for the first five years of his career greeted the forward with boos in pregame introductions. He smiled through it all for a moment of schadenfreude.
Wiggins has played well against his former team, including a 35-point eruption on Nov. 10. But he’s maintained there’s no ill will with the organization, and he’s remained close with Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns.
But perhaps a familiar arena would help Wiggins break out of his slump. The first-time All-Star averaged just 13.8 points per game in February. He shot 41.9% from the field and 41.2% from the free throw line. He averaged a season-low 3.4 rebounds per game during a stretch the team desperately needed help on the boards.
And with Klay Thompson (illness) and Draymond Green (L5-S1 disc) sidelined Tuesday, the Warriors really needed Wiggins.
Wiggins scored eight of Golden State’s first 10 points. Then he disappeared offensively for two quarters, missing wide open looks and appearing reluctant to drive to the hoop. He finished with 12 points on 13 shots and no free throw attempts.
Turnoverfest
The first minute of the second quarter went as follows:
- Otto Porter Jr. bad pass turnover (Malik Beasley steals)
- Naz Reid bad pass out of bounds turnover
- Otto Porter Jr. lost ball turnover (Malik Beasley steals)
- D’Angelo Russell bad pass turnover (Otto Porter Jr. steals)
- Jordan McLaughlin personal foul
- Stephen Curry bad pass turnover (D’Angelo Russell steals)
- D’Angelo Russell lost ball turnover (Otto Porter Jr. steals)
Sixty-four seconds, six turnovers. Sloppy play wasn’t contained in that minute stretch, but that sequence reflected poor execution all night.
Minnesota forces the most turnovers in the league. They consistently got deflections by aggressively playing the passing lanes and rotating on the weak side.
The Warriors turned it over 17 times, two more than their season average.
Aside from the turnovers, GSW allowed relentless straight line drives. Even Patrick Beverley and Taurean Prince, not known as dynamic slashers, got to the rim multiple times with little resistance. Golden State tried a zone at one point to limit dribble penetration.
Short handed rotation gets cut down
The Warriors entered the game without Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, James Wiseman, Andre Iguodala and Nemanja Bjelica.
Then Moses Moody, making his second straight start, took an elbow to the face and left the game with a left eye contusion in the first quarter.
Plus Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II, and Jordan Poole got into foul trouble. The Warriors on the court looked more like the 2020-21 group than they had in a while.
Damion Lee (15 points, six rebounds) stepped up in a heavier dosage of minutes, but as Golden State ran out of options, it suffered in the fourth. As the game went on, legs got heavier and shots fell short.
The Timberwolves started the fourth quarter with Towns on the bench and still beat GSW 17-7. Then came an extended garbage time.
