New night, same problem for the Golden State Warriors in third-straight loss

The Golden State Warriors’ losing streak has extended to three games with a 116-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves that concludes a disappointing weekend back-to-back.

After a 118-110 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, the Warriors were again too reliant on Stephen Curry in what’s becoming a concerning problem through the first 11 games of this season.

Stephen Curry proved a one-man show again for the Golden State Warriors, scoring 38 points despite a six-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It was more of the Curry show early in the game, with the two-time MVP scoring 11 of the Warriors first 16 points. He returned to snatch an in-bound steal and layup in the final second of the quarter to give Golden State a 31-29 lead after the first 12 minutes.

The hosts extended their lead to eight early in the second, but their offense went ice cold over the remainder of the period as the the Timberwolves turned the tide. A masterful Curry and-one cut the margin to three at half-time, with the Warriors potentially considering themselves fortunate after scoring just 13 points in the final 9:53 of the quarter.

A Klay Thompson four-point play gave Golden State the lead on the first possession of the second-half, yet they were completely outplayed for the remainder of the third-quarter as Minnesota outscored them 35-18 from that point.

The Warriors tried to make a concerted push with their starters on the floor for the majority of the fourth, but Curry’s efforts were matched by Anthony Edwards’ 33 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Golden State made a shock fightback in the final minute, reducing the Minnesota advantage to four on the back of eight points from Brandin Podziemski in less than 90 seconds. However, their chance to slice it to a one possession game went awry, allowing the Timberwolves to clinch the win despite some late nerves.

Curry’s 38 came on 11-25 shooting and 5-13 from deep, though his teammates failed to deliver the sort of ancillary support against the best defense in the league. Rudy Gobert was a constant presence on the interior with five blocks, helping to limit Golden State to 38.5% from the floor and 27.9% from three-point range.

Thompson had 16 points but took 16 shots to do so, while Andrew Wiggins continued his struggles with just six points on 3-7 shooting. Dario Saric had an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double, with Jonathan Kuminga the only other Warrior in double figures despite shooting just 2-11 on the night.

Golden State will have to pick up the pieces and try to respond against the same opposition on Wednesday night. Their 6-5 record has pushed them back into the middle tier of the West, while Minnesota continue to stake their claim as a genuine contender at 7-2.