What we learned as Steph, TJD, Podz lead Warriors’ win over Wolves

What we learned when Steph, TJD and Podz led the Warriors’ victory over the Wolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After the Warriors led the Timberwolves through the first half and into the second on Saturday night in Minnesota, they once again faced their most frequent demons.

Would they blow another double-digit lead in the second half?

Stephen Curry provided the answer, scoring 13 points in the final 3:38 minutes. secure a 113-103 victory that gives Golden State its second win in 16 days, both against Minnesota.

Five Warriors scored in double figures, with Curry finishing with a game-high 31 and adding 10 assists. Brandin Podziemski (12 points), Jonathan Kuminga (11) and Buddy Hield (11) combined for 34 of Golden State’s 46 bench points.

Trayce Jackson-Davis, who made his first start this month, finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Here are three observations from a feel-good win for the Warriors:

The 16th lineup is fine in the short term

Coach Steve Kerr continues to shuffle lineups, sometimes due to injuries and sometimes out of sheer desperation. Once Draymond Green, listed as questionable with left ankle soreness, was ruled out after his pregame warmup, it was time to play again.

Golden State opened with its 16th starting lineup of the season: Dennis Schröder and Curry at guard, Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson at forward, with Jackson-Davis at center. It was Anderson’s first start of the season; He was the only player in the rotation who had not started at least once.

It worked well in the first half, as the Warriors led from the start, going up by as many as 21 points, and took a 13-point lead into the intermission. Jackson-Davis was particularly effective early, producing six points, six rebounds and two blocks in the first six minutes.

The same lineup opened the second half, but was ineffective against the rallying Timberwolves. First-half gains were erased in less than eight minutes, as Minnesota’s increased determination led to 71.4 percent shooting in the third quarter.

The mixed results indicate that there will almost certainly be a different lineup, probably on Monday.

Solid early defense even without Draymond

Although Green was “questionable” on the injury report with left ankle soreness, Kerr was hopeful, until Draymond’s pregame warmup convinced the Warriors that he should sit out.

This is enough to set a defensive tone early, huh?

Well, no.

The Warriors held Minnesota to one field goal through the first four minutes and closed the first quarter on a 13-5 run to take a 26-15 lead. They continued like this in the second quarter, going 10-0 in the first four minutes.

The Timberwolves missed 14 consecutive shots and went more than seven minutes without scoring. During that span, the Warriors outscored the Timberwolves 16-0 and held them to 27.3 percent shooting, including 23.5 percent from deep, in the first half.

The Warriors for the first 24 minutes played their best defense of the season. That they did it without Draymond has to be encouraging.

Schröder, game 2

Schröder’s debut in Golden State was so forgettable for him and his new team that his second game had be an improvement. Was. Slightly.

Again starting at point guard, allowing Curry to spend more minutes off the ball, Schröder seemed more comfortable as the teammate he joined five days ago. He wasn’t smart, but he was more confident in his movements and showed more enthusiasm for communicating.

Schröder finished with nine points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc, with three assists and two rebounds. He had three turnovers and was -9 in 27 minutes.

Schröder is getting closer to achieving better coordination with his colleagues. Once that happens, his offensive production should follow.

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