Behind 38 points from Steph Curry, Golden State won their fourth straight game.
Ahh, it’s good to have Draymond Green back. And, well, it didn’t take long for his impact to be felt by the Golden State Warriors. Just a few minutes into their matchup against the new-look Minnesota Timberwolves, the Warriors were up 13-0.
The offense was crisp and dynamic. The Green-led defense was putting the clamps on Minny. It was a blip that offered us insight into just how dominant the Warriors can - and arguably should - be.
In the interest of full honesty, they gave up most of the lead nearly as quickly as they got it. By the end of the first quarter it was anyone’s game, and it was close at halftime.
Then along came the third-quarter Warriors. It wasn’t the most dominant third-quarter they’ve had, but it felt like a collective muscle flex. They outscored the Wolves 28-20 in the frame, to take a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter. But along the way they repeatedly reminded the Wolves who the better team was.
And it was a reminder that stars are important in this league. Steph Curry did that ridiculous thing that he’s been doing lately, with 38 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 7-14 shooting from beyond the arc. Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant both shot 4-7 from distance, the former for 26 points, the latter for 22, and both played stellar defense.
And Green did his thing on both ends of the court, with 7 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and elite defense against seemingly every member of the Wolves. Minnesota kept trying to make things interesting, and every time they did, the Warriors had an answer.
At the end, the score stood Warriors 116, Wolves 108, and a four-game winning streak for the suddenly red-hot defending champs.