The Golden State Warriors just offered Dub Nation a slim glimmer of hope — and a clear recipe for winning in this new post-Jimmy Butler era.
Golden State snapped its two-game losing streak with a convincing 111–85 road win over a direct playoff rival in the Minnesota Timberwolves, with the defense showing up in one of the more impressive performances of the season.
Warriors defense will be key to life without Jimmy Butler
It’s no surprise the Warriors are and will struggle to score without Butler — and Jonathan Kuminga who is also sidelined by injury — which makes a reliable defense essential. Golden State delivered on that end on Sunday afternoon.
A scrappy Warriors defense forced the Timberwolves into 25 turnovers — a season high for Minnesota — which Golden State converted into 25 points. The Timberwolves, a top-six offense coming in, were held to just 85 points, marking the first time this season they failed to reach the 100-point threshold.
That defensive activity, highlighted by a season-high 20 steals, allowed the Warriors to generate 16 more shot attempts than Minnesota. A lockdown defense gives this scuffling offense room to find its rhythm as the game goes on, rather than falling into a 20-point hole by the second quarter.
The Warriors won’t need to put up gaudy numbers to win games; they need to score smartly. Going against a set defense that aims to double Steph Curry on every possession is a tough task for this Butler-less team.
They need to run in transition — something the Warriors haven’t done consistently so far, ranking 29th in fast-break points per game (12.2) It was a different story on Sunday, and one to remember. Golden State scored 22 fast-break points, including 11 in the first quarter, compared to Minnesota’s 14.
Despite scoring just 47 first-half points, the Warriors held onto a one-point lead going into the break. The third quarter showed why defense will be the key factor going forward: eventually, Golden State’s shots will fall — and today, they did after halftime.
The Warriors outscored Minnesota 38–17 while shooting just under 60% from the field and knocking down five three-pointers, with Brandin Podziemski scoring eight of his 12 points in the period to put the game on ice early.
The formula is simple — and it works
The Warriors have a very specific winning formula this season, one that revolves around turnovers, assists, and a key role player. Turnovers must be kept under 13, as Golden State is now 10–3 when committing fewer. Assists are another major variable: the Warriors are 15–1 when dishing out more than 30, after recording 31 on 40 made field goals on Sunday. Finally, Moses Moody’s production has emerged as a key swing factor. With Moody chipping in 19 points, Golden State improved to 8–1 when the fifth-year swingman scores more than 15.
Stephen Curry added 26 points despite a rough shooting night, going 3-of-10 from deep. But as is often the case, the Chef still found ways to impact the game — this time through his playmaking and active defense. He finished with seven assists, including a couple of flashy transition passes, and four steals, a new season high.
Golden State’s other cornerstone, Draymond Green, also turned in a solid performance despite an underwhelming stat line. He did an excellent job all night boxing out Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid, and — most importantly — didn’t force the issue offensively, attempting just five shots and committing only one turnover. Green finished at +14 in 23 minutes, after posting a –42 over his previous two games combined.
The Warriors will face that same Minnesota squad again on Monday, but De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford will be in street clothes, as neither player participates in back-to-backs as a precaution following previous injuries. Stephen Curry’s status is also up in the air, though Steve Kerr is hopeful his superstar will suit up. Golden State will have a chance to creep a little closer to the coveted sixth seed that's currently held by the Phoenix Suns.