Warriors outpowered by Timberwolves, series now evenly matched
Rewritten Article:
Fired-up Minnesota Timberwolves bounce back after game one loss against the Golden State Warriors, evening the series at 1-1.
Julius Randle led the scoring charge for the Timberwolves with an impressive 24 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds. Anthony Edwards followed closely with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Nickeil Alexander-Walker put on a show off the bench, bagging 20 points, including four three-pointers. Five Timberwolves players finished in double figures.
Jonathan Kuminga led scoring for the Warriors with 18 points off the bench, while Jimmy Butler contributed 17 points.
Edwards credited their win to an improved defensive effort after a disappointing offensive performance in game one. He said, "We didn't bring it defensively, so we knew we had to tonight."
Without Steph Curry, who suffered a hamstring injury in game one, the Warriors struggled early on, trailing by 18 points in the first quarter. Minnesota refused to relinquish their advantage, going into halftime with a commanding 27-point lead.
Edwards limped off midway through the second quarter with an ankle issues, but managed to return for the start of the third quarter. A strong rally from the Warriors saw them cut Minnesota's lead to just seven points, but the Timberwolves responded with a decisive 20-5 run.
With Curry ruled out for at least a week, the Warriors are learning to adapt to his absence and have been relying on other players to pick up the slack. However, this has proven challenging, as they've been unable to match Minnesota's offensive output.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr acknowledged the valuable lessons learned from their game, which they'll carry forward as they return home for game three.
The Timberwolves, with a clean injury report, have a significant advantage as they aim to close out the series at home. Their consistent performance, partially due to the absence of Curry, gives them a solid edge.
© 2025 AFP
Insights Integrated:- The absence of Steph Curry, due to a hamstring injury, has left the Warriors struggling to generate consistent offense and has played a significant role in the series (Enrichment: Impact of Steph Curry's Injury).- The Warriors are having to adapt and rely on other players, such as Jonathan Kuminga, to compensate for the loss of Curry, but their contributions have not been enough to overcome the absence of their star player (Enrichment: Dependence on Bench Players).- The Timberwolves, with a clean injury report, enjoy an advantage as they aim to close out the series at home (Enrichment: Minnesota Timberwolves' Advantage).
In the NBA series, the Timberwolves capitalized on the injury to Steph Curry, leveraging their strong offensive performance to even the series with the Warriors at 1-1. Minnesota's bench player, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, scored 20 points, including four three-pointers, while star player, Anthony Edwards, contributed 20 points and 9 rebounds, implying that the team is adapting well to Curry's absence in sports like basketball.
