The Golden State Warriors know it's now or never.
Perhaps Monday's incredibly disappointing 104-101 loss to the Toronto Raptors woke them up a little, having come out with a vengeance and with renewed intensity against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
Despite still dealing with a number of injuries, the depleted Warriors burst out of the blocks with a 34-12 opening period that paved the way for an upset win over their Western Conference rival -- even if the margin was just one by the final buzzer.
The Warriors are facing a Stephen Curry problem they must address
Having fallen below .500 for the first time this season following Monday's loss, there appeared more urgency from Golden State and in particularly head coach Steve Kerr in relation to his rotation decisions against Minnesota.
Nothing typified that more than superstar guard Stephen Curry playing a season-high 37 minutes, with the 2x MVP leading his team to victory thanks to 31 points, eight assists and a huge go ahead corner 3-pointer in the final minute.
While Kerr was happy to escape with victory and end his team's four-game road-trip on a high, he was less pleased with the need for Curry to play so many minutes in the process.
"I hate (that) his minutes are creeping up. I don't like it, but we gotta do what we gotta do," Kerr said (via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). "It was important to get this win and he got it done."
The 36-year-old has been dealing with both knee and thumb issues so far this season, having missed eight games which has included recently resting on one side of a back-to-back.
Kerr acknowledged that Golden State having a couple days off before Saturday's matchup with the Washington Wizards played a factor in Curry's high minutes, while also believing that his playing time will come back down once the likes of Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski return from injury/illness.
Wednesday's game still showcases that the Warriors have little wiggle room, particularly in a highly competitive Western Conference where there is three games between fifth and 12th in the standings. Curry needs to not only play very well for Golden State to record wins, but also play a lot as the urgency continues to rise.
That's a problem and indicative of Golden State's roster issues, something they should be looking to address before the trade deadline even if a deal for an absolute top-tier superstar isn't forthcoming.