The Warriors let a 17-point lead go to waste and eventually fell short in a 124-117 overtime loss to Minnesota.
GAME LEADERS
The Warriors didn’t put away the Timberwolves when they had a chance, and the young and hungry visitors stuck around long enough to force overtime and ultimately beat the Dubs 124-117 on Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.
The Warriors, who had a 54-game home winning streak going into this homestand, have suddenly loss two of their last three at Oracle Arena. After never trailing by more than one in regulation and playing with a double-digit advantage for a good portion of the game, the Warriors struggled offensively in the fourth quarter and overtime. A turnaround hook shot by Andre Iguodala with 2:22 left in regulation accounted for the Warriors’ only points over a five-minute stretch that bled into overtime.
The Warriors had to labor for everything in the second half, whereas the Timberwolves asserted themselves on both ends of the floor and doubled up the Warriors 26-13 over the final nine minutes of the game. The loss marked the first overtime defeat this season for the Dubs, who are now 6-1 in such games.
As much as they struggled in crunch time, the Warriors had it rolling at the start of the game. Fueled by spot-on perimeter shooting from Harrison Barnes, the Warriors opened up a 15-point lead in the first quarter. Barnes connected on three 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the game, scoring 11 of his 20 points in the period.
Klay Thompson scored 11 of his 28 points after the third quarter and Stephen Curry endured a tough shooting night but still finished with 21 points and 15 assists. Andrew Bogut returned to the starting lineup after missing Sunday’s game and tallied 10 points and 15 boards, and Iguodala was also back in action after missing 13 games with a sprained ankle.
Despite nearing full strength, the Warriors continued to struggle with turnovers, as 24 miscues resulted in 31 points for the Timberwolves. Minnesota got 35 points off the bench from Shabazz Muhammad and 32 points from Andrew Wiggins.
With the loss, the Warriors fall to 69-9, and they’ll look to get their 70th win on Thursday when they host the San Antonio Spurs.