One team is bound to bounce back when the Golden State Warriors visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Golden State is coming off a 51-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, marking the team’s third consecutive defeat. Meanwhile, Minnesota is recovering from a 26-point loss to the New York Knicks in a nationally televised game on Thursday night.
Frustration is evident on both teams.
Timberwolves top scorer Anthony Edwards did not hold back with reporters heading into Saturday’s game. He expressed his disappointment after he and his teammates were outplayed at home by former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks.
The Warriors are also searching for answers amid their skid.
Warriors star guard Stephen Curry emphasized the need for urgency but noted the importance of staying calm and not panicking. Curry had an uncharacteristically poor game against Memphis, shooting 0-for-7 from the field and 0-for-6 from 3-point range, finishing with just two points—his previous season low was 12.
Curry leads Golden State with 22.0 points per game and a team-high 6.4 assists. Andrew Wiggins (17.8 points per game), Jonathan Kuminga (15.3), and Buddy Hield (14.1) round out the top four scorers.
Edwards leads Minnesota with 25.9 points per game. Julius Randle is averaging 20.2 points, followed by a drop-off to Naz Reid with 11.8 ppg.
Rudy Gobert is averaging a double-double for the Timberwolves with 10.3 points and 10.7 rebounds. Gobert will look to recover from one of his toughest games of the season after finishing with three points and four rebounds in 22-plus minutes against New York.
This is the third of four games between the teams during the regular season. Each of the first two games took place in San Francisco.
Minnesota won the first contest 107-90 on Dec. 6. Edwards led the Timberwolves with 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting, and Curry led the Warriors with 23 points on 6-for-17 shooting.
Golden State responded with a 114-106 win two days later. Curry once again paced the Warriors with 30 points on 8-for-18 shooting, while Edwards led Minnesota with 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting.
