Warriors hold off Timberwolves 119-114 as Steph Curry scores 44 for second straight win

The Golden State Warriors have now won two straight after an 0-3 start. They beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-114 on Wednesday night at Target Center. Stephen Curry scored a season-high 44 points and went 16-for-16 at the free-throw line, and Golden State only just held on after leading by as many as 24.

Curry has made all 39 of his free throws this season, according to Sean Keane's game story for SB Nation. The game turned on one run in the second quarter. Over about three minutes, Curry hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points, turning a one-point Golden State edge into a 13-point lead. The Warriors went into the half up 64-48 and led for the last 38 minutes. ESPN had Golden State ahead in every quarter but the last two, which Minnesota won 33-29 and 33-26. NBC Los Angeles counted six 3-pointers for Curry, and Field Level Media credited him with eight rebounds.

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg added 26 points and eight rebounds in his fifth NBA game. He was already drawing double teams in the first half. He also committed seven turnovers. That sloppiness hurt the Warriors late. They turned it over 11 of their 16 times after halftime and went 1-for-10 from three as a team in the second half. Curry stole a LaMelo Ball pass that set up a Lendeborg dunk for an 11-point lead with 2:16 left. Then Minnesota cut it to four, helped by Ayo Dosunmu picking Curry's pocket. It took a De'Anthony Melton block on Dosunmu at the rim and two missed threes from Jaden McDaniels to close it out.

Minnesota played without Anthony Edwards, who had knee surgery and is not expected back until at least December. Former Warrior Jonathan Kuminga led the Wolves with 20 points, five assists and no turnovers. McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. each scored 19. Ball shot 3-for-11 and had six turnovers. Rudy Gobert finished with one point. Georges Niang started for Gui Santos, who sat with a sore knee, and was plus-5 in his minutes. Draymond Green had eight rebounds and six assists but committed costly fouls late.

What it means for Friday against the Lakers

Golden State is 2-3 and plays its second home game of the season on Friday, October 30, against the Los Angeles Lakers on Prime Video. The Lakers handed the Warriors their worst loss so far, 127-105 in Los Angeles in the opener. That started a three-game skid that also included a 111-108 home loss to Memphis and a 131-122 loss at Phoenix.

Since then the Warriors have scored 134 in Denver and 119 in Minneapolis, and the offense looks like it has found a rhythm. The question is how they finish games. Against Minnesota they scored 26 points in the fourth quarter and nearly lost a lead that had looked safe, which recalls the late collapse against the Grizzlies. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves coming to San Francisco, Golden State will need Lendeborg to protect the ball better and the bench to hold up. Curry's run at the line will be part of the story too. Through five games he has not missed a free throw.