Dubs Come Up Short in Final Seconds Against Timberwolves

Stephen Curry's game-tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer came up short as the Golden State Warriors fell 99-96 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night at Chase Center.

The Warriors trailed by as many as nine points in the final frame, but a Klay Thompson triple with 2:47 left in the game gave the Warriors a 92-91 lead. A Karl-Anthony Towns 3-pointer with 1:49 gave the Timberwolves a one-point advantage. But Jordan Poole answered on the following Warriors possession, knocking down a tough corner three to regain the lead for the Dubs with 88 seconds to play.

Ultimately, late turnovers were too much to overcome for the Dubs. Leading by one point with under 20 seconds to go, Kyle Anderson stole a Draymond Green pass and Towns hit another 3-pointer to give the Wolves a two-point lead. The following possession, the Dubs turned the ball over again, this time after a miscommunication between Jordan Poole and Stephen Curry with 4.4 seconds remaining. One missed Jaden McDaniels free throw with 2.4 seconds left gave the Warriors one last chance to even the game, but Curry's contested corner 3-pointer was not able to drop.

"I just thought the final two minutes, we didn't execute," said Steve Kerr. I thought we had a chance at a layup in transition with about two minutes left. I think we had another possession where we turned it over. We just didn’t execute down the stretch. So that was just one of many. So we didn't deserve to win. They outplayed us. They made the plays down the stretch that they needed to make and we didn't, so simple as that."

In the first half, the Dubs turned the ball over five times and shot 43.2 percent from the field and 47.7 percent from 3-point range, scoring 55 points.

But turnovers proved costly to Golden State, as the team turned the ball over six times in the third quarter and fives times in the fourth, resulting in 20 points off turnovers for the Timberwolves in the second half. The Dubs shooting also cooled off, as they shot 39 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from distance, resulting in just 41 second half points in the defeat.

Gary Payton II took the court for the first time for the Warriors this season since being acquired in February. Payton, who was a key part of the Warriors championship run in 2022, has been sidelined due to a high adductor injury. He first entered the game with 26.1 seconds left to a roaring Chase Center crowd. Payton recorded nine points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal in 15 minutes of action and made multiple clutch fourth quarter plays that helped cut a nine-point deficit to two.

"It was great having Gary back," said Klay Thompson. "I was really happy with the ovation he got because he earned it. He was a huge part of what we did last year and why we were the champs and I know he will be again this year because he’s such a great player.

He's so good around the rim, he's so good on defense and he’s just going to be a huge asset for us going forward.”

Draymond Green scored or assists on the Warriors’ first seven points of the game (4 PTS, 1 AST), while also tallying three rebounds in the first three minutes. Green scored 11 points in the first half, tied for his second most points in a first half this season, and finished the game with 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting. He also added a team-high-tying seven rebounds and five assists.

Stephen Curry picked up his second foul of the game just under four minutes into the game, forcing him to the bench earlier than usual. But Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole carried the offense through the first quarter, combining for 16 straight Warriors points before Curry re-entered the game.

Poole finished the game with a team-high 27 points, shooting 8-for-16 from the field and connecting on eight of his nine free throw attempts. Thompson added 15 points, making five 3-pointers in the contest.

Trailing 53-40 with 5:03 remaining in the second quarter, the Dubs rattled off a 15-0 run to take their first lead of the game since 7-5. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green combined for 10 of the Dubs’ 15 points, including a highlight-reel Green dunk to even the game up at 52-52. Golden State held Minnesota to just one point in the final 5:03 of the quarter, forcing three turnovers in the process.

The Warriors continue their four-game homestand on Tuesday night, when they host the New Orleans Pelicans at 7 p.m. (NBCSBA, TNT). The team will then host the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night (7 p.m.; NBCSBA) before going on the road to face the Denver Nuggets on Sunday (5:30 p.m.; NBCSBA, TNT).

"It was a tough one to walk off the court," Stephen Curry said after the loss. "Nothing to show for it, but we’ll bounce back.”