Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024
Preview and Prediction
When the Golden State Warriors travel to Minneapolis to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night, one team is sure to make a comeback.
The Warriors are coming off a devastating 51-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, marking their third consecutive defeat. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are recovering from a 26-point loss to the New York Knicks in a nationally televised game on Thursday.
It's clear that both teams are feeling frustrated at the moment.
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This frustration was evident in Timberwolves' top scorer Anthony Edwards, who didn't hold back when speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's game. He expressed his disappointment after being outplayed by former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks in their home court.
"We don't have a clear offensive strategy," Edwards stated. "We know I'm going to take a lot of shots. We know (Julius) Randle is going to take a lot of shots. That's all we know. We don't really know anything else.
"It's not the coaches' fault. It's on us. We're the ones out there playing, but we need to make it easier for each other. The coaches put us in a great position, but we just don't execute it."
When asked about what changes he would like to see in the offense, Edwards chose to keep his thoughts to himself, knowing that his teammates and coaches may not agree with his opinions.
The Warriors are also struggling to find answers during their losing streak.
Star player Stephen Curry acknowledged the need for urgency, but also stressed the importance of not panicking and staying focused on turning their season around.
"I don't like the word 'panic'," Curry said. "I prefer 'accepting where we are and trying to change the momentum of the season.' Panic suggests that we don't have a solution, but I believe we do. We just need to play with a sense of urgency."
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In their previous game against Memphis, Curry had an uncharacteristic performance, going 0-for-7 from the field and 0-for-6 from 3-point range. He only scored two points, which was his lowest of the season so far.
Curry leads the Warriors in scoring with an average of 22.0 points per game, followed by Andrew Wiggins (17.8), Jonathan Kuminga (15.3), and Buddy Hield (14.1).
For the Timberwolves, Edwards is their top scorer with an average of 25.9 points per game. Randle follows with 20.2 points, and there is a significant drop-off before Naz Reid at No. 3 with 11.8 ppg.
Rudy Gobert is averaging a double-double for the Timberwolves with 10.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He will be looking to bounce back from a tough game against the Knicks, where he only scored three points and grabbed four rebounds in over 22 minutes of play.
This will be the third out of four games between these two teams in the regular season, with the first two taking place in San Francisco.
The Timberwolves won the first game 107-90 on December 6th, with Edwards leading the team with 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting. Curry led the Warriors with 23 points on 6-for-17 shooting.
The Warriors responded with a 114-106 win two days later, with Curry once again leading the team with 30 points on 8-for-18 shooting. Edwards led the Timberwolves with 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting.
Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Recap FEB 1TH 2023
Anthony Edwards saved four of his 27 points for the final 1:43 of overtime as the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the Golden State Warriors 119-114 on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.
After missing their first four shots of overtime and watching an Andrew Wiggins dunk put Golden State up 112-110, the Timberwolves got a second chance on their fifth possession. Kyle Anderson swatted a Taurean Prince miss to Austin Rivers, who in turn found Prince for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:58 remaining.
Edwards scored on a drive and a 10-footer on Minnesota's next two possessions, and the Timberwolves took advantage of the Warriors' 2-for-8 shooting in overtime to avenge an earlier 137-114 home defeat to Golden State and win for the fourth time in their past five games.
Seeking a fourth straight win, the Warriors led by as many as 14 early in the fourth quarter before needing a Curry layup with 1:39 to go just to pull into a 110-110 tie.
Neither team scored again in regulation, with the Warriors getting the best opportunity when Curry misfired on an open jump shot with 6.1 seconds left.
After a timeout, the best the Timberwolves could get was a desperation 30-footer by D'Angelo Russell that missed the mark, sending Minnesota to overtime for the second straight game.
Despite fouling out in OT, Russell led the Timberwolves with 29 points, 21 of which coming on 7-for-17 accuracy from beyond the arc.
Edwards had 27 points and five assists, while Naz Reid contributed 24 points and 13 rebounds in place of Rudy Gobert, who sat out with a sore right groin.
Anderson added 12 rebounds and nine points for Minnesota, while Austin Rivers chipped in with 10 points.
Curry, who had made five of his seven 3-point attempts in the first half en route to 21 points at the break, finished 5-for-12 on threes while leading Golden State with 29 points. He also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Jordan Poole had 18 points, Wiggins 16 points and Klay Thompson 14 for the Warriors. Draymond Green finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds, and Jonathan Kuminga and Kevon Looney scored 10 points apiece.