Stephen Curry Drops 40 Points as Warriors Top Timberwolves in Preseason Clash
The post-Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors are in the win column for the first time.
Golden State defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 143-123 in Thursday's game at the Chase Center, bringing its preseason record to 1-1 in the process. This was the only one of the Warriors' five preseason games that is not against the Los Angeles Lakers.
While they are coming off five straight NBA Finals trips, the Warriors are under the preseason microscope more than usual with fans interested to see how they look without Durant and an injured Klay Thompson. Stephen Curry provided a resounding answer with a dominant performance in just 25 minutes of action.
As for Minnesota, it is attempting to make the playoffs for just the second time in 16 years but doesn't look the part yet at 0-2 in the preseason.
Notable Player Stats
- Stephen Curry: 40 points, six assists, six rebounds, two steals, 14-of-19 from the field and 6-of-9 from three-point range
- D'Angelo Russell: 16 points, five assists, two blocks and 7-of-14 from the field
- Draymond Green: eight points, seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and 2-of-2 from three-point range
- Karl-Anthony Towns: nine points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal
- Andrew Wiggins: 13 points and three assists
- Jake Layman: 17 points, four rebounds and two blocks
- Jarrett Culver: 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and 4-of-8 from three-point range
Steph is in MVP Mode Already
There was a reason Curry won back-to-back MVPs the two years before Durant arrived in Golden State.
The Warriors offense consistently ran through him as a well-oiled machine because of his ability to draw defenders from the rim with his historic shooting. That opened the lane for his teammates or his own dribble penetration, but he was quick to unleash arguably the best three-point shot to ever grace the NBA the second a defender gave him an inch of space.
Golden State's offense is once again going to be Curry dominant with Durant no longer on the roster and Thompson sidelined for months as he recovers from a torn ACL.
That means two-man attacks with Draymond Green, working in and capitalizing on space with the sharp-shooting D'Angelo Russell and finding teammates such as Glenn Robinson III with lob passes, which he did in the first half of Thursday's game.
Most importantly, Curry is going to have the greenest of green lights every time the ball is in his hands.
That green light was on full display against the Timberwolves when he poured in 17 points in the first quarter alone by darting through the defense and taking timely three-pointers when they presented themselves.
By the third quarter, Curry was dancing around Minnesota defenders and making professionals look completely helpless.
The argument against Curry's MVP prospects is the Warriors won't ask him to do such heavy lifting during the season so he is fresh by the playoffs. However, they may need him to be Superman just to make the playoffs given Thompson's status and the loaded Western Conference.
Superman showed up Thursday and already looks ready to dominate the league.
What's Next?
The Timberwolves host Maccabi Haifa BC on Sunday, while the Warriors are at the Lakers on Monday.
