Golden State Warriors fall to Minnesota Timberwolves in Shenzhen
By Marc Princi
The Golden State Warriors fell to 0-2 in the preseason in their first match against the Timberwolves in Shenzhen, China
The Golden State Warriors have traveled to China to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in two preseason games. The first game is now in the books, as the Warriors fell to the Timberwolves 111-95. The loss means the Warriors now fall to 0-2 in the preseason ahead of their second game against the Timberwolves in Shanghai on Sunday.
First Half
The Warriors came out firing in the first quarter, nailing a number of threes to make up for their lackluster shooting against the Denver Nuggets. They jumped out to a 13-4 lead in a matter of minutes and quickly made the first quarter their own. They finished the quarter leading 32-20, after shooting 69% and combining for 10 assists.
The second quarter saw each team play their second units, with the benches going toe-to-toe for the first half of the quarter. Minnesota brought on their starters, although this wasn’t enough to cut into the lead. The Warriors starters came on towards the end of the quarter, and the high volume of turnovers gave the Timberwolves the chance to claw their way back into it. The quarter finished with the Warriors leading 55-50. The squad displayed great transition play in the first half and really could’ve blown the game out early. 11 Turnovers in the first half nullified the impact of their amazing start.
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The quarter finished with the Warriors leading 55-50. The squad displayed great transition play in the first half and really could’ve blown the game out early. 11 Turnovers in the first half nullified the impact of their amazing start.
Second Half
The third quarter gave rise to a more physical game, with a number of fouls being awarded on both sides. The Warriors’ second unit displayed increased intensity which allowed them to keep the Wolves at arms-length for much of the third quarter. The Wolves played gritty and determined, as Jimmy Butler began to warm up. The Warriors finished the third quarter ahead 81-79, as we looked set for a close finish.
The Warriors’ fourth quarter performance undid all of the amazing work from the first three quarters of the game. The Wolves quickly took the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter. The Warriors’ starters didn’t play in the fourth, nor did many of their second unit players. Younger players such as Jordan Bell and Patrick McCaw were able to gain some valuable playing time during this period. The Wolves ran away with the win towards the end, 111-97.
Takeaways from the game
The Warriors’ starters once again played relatively low minutes. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green each played 24 minutes. Kevin Durant and Zaza Pachulia played 25 minutes and 18 minutes respectively. The starters combined for 62 points, 21 rebounds, and 19 assists.
The Warriors passed the ball much better this game, notching 26 assists, as opposed to just 17 against the Nuggets. However, ball handling was a bigger issue for the Dubs against the Wolves. They finished with 19 turnovers, which is a big increase from the 14 they had against the Nuggets. The Warriors’ high turnover count was the difference maker in this game. The squad is a high-pace, high-turnover team, so this should come as no surprise. It is, however, worrying that 10 of those turnovers came from the starters. They will need to address this before the season begins.
The Warriors shouldn’t be too worried about tonight’s performance overall. If the starters had played more minutes tonight, they would’ve likely blown the Wolves out. The squad now turns their attention to their game against the Wolves in Shanghai on Sunday. The biggest takeaway from this game is that if the starters play every game like they did the first quarter, they’ll once again lift the Larry O’Brien trophy come June, 2018.
What did you think of the Golden State Warriors’ performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Shenzhen? Comment below!