Seven takeaways: The Warriors win their 11th straight as they outpace the Wolves
The youngsters couldn't hold the rope and Golden State keeps cruising
By
Matt Moore
•
3 min read
The Golden State Warriors won their 11th game in a row Saturday night with a 115-102 home victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Steph Curry finished with 34 points on 13-of-19 shooting while Kevin Durant had a 5X4 with 28 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks.
The Wolves made a run in the second and fourth to give a small degree of intrigue to the game, but overall, it was your boilerplate Warriors victory this season. Some brief takeaways:
1. No Draymond, No Problem: The Warriors' emotional heartbeat had the night off after an ankle injury in a victory against the Lakers the night before, and sat this one out. No worries, though, because JaVale McGee was there for the rescue. McGee continues to impress and is probably going to wind up with a starting job sometime before Christmas. His athleticism and length just are too much next to the rest of the Warriors' length and skill, and his ability to finish lobs is just a terrific fit on this team.
Without Green, the Warriors brought the energy they needed to on a back-to-back. They outrebounded the Wolves 45-32 and had more points in the paint by 14. They did the work they needed to.
2. Zach LaVine had a great game: The Wolves are eventually going to have a Harden-OKC-like problem with LaVine and Wiggins, where Wiggins is clearly the future, and yet LaVine continues to show what he can do. LaVine finished with 31 points on 13-of-24 shooting and three assists. He continually kept the Wolves within reach and his jumper shows major signs of improving with every passing month.
You can see the inevitable trade where LaVine takes off in his new location coming a mile away. He's not as good as Harden (not nearly) but he'll probably wind up needing more space to grow. The good news is that the Wolves can justify trading him because they badly need defensive wing help and a better power forward.
3. Small plays kill you vs. the Warriors: Golden State wasn't great Saturday. They allowed the Wolves to shoot 46 percent, and many of the 25 3-pointers the Wolves missed (!!!) were wide-open looks they just didn't knock down. That's why Minnesota was still within striking range at the end. But down eight, after forcing a turnover on an inbounds play, the Wolves needed a flawless possession. Instead, in a frenzy, the young Karl-Anthony Towns rushed a 3-pointer that would have cut it to five.
Then with the lead at 11 and hope fading, Gorgui Dieng just didn't look for the ball running a side pick and roll and LaVine threw it out of bounds. Little-things-that-cost-you-big moments. The Wolves are now 5-11, with a worse record than the Wizards, and hopes of being the plucky underdog in a first-round matchup of the playoffs are fading.
4. Kevin Durant did something never done in Warriors history: Durant became the first player in franchise history to finish with at least 28 points, along with at least 10 rebounds (11), five assists, and five blocks. (Blocked shots did not become an official NBA statistic until 1973.) His defense was tenacious and he helped protect the rim without Green around. It shows you his versatility that he was able to so seamlessly fill in those gaps when called upon to do so.
5. The Wolves had another bad third quarter: The Wolves are the worst third-quarter team in the league. A 34-25 letdown Saturday night wasn't as bad as many of their post-halftime meltdowns this season, but it did put the game out of reach. Minnesota would have had a chance to steal this one if they had just fixed the same problem that has killed them all season -- third quarters. Their second quarter was worse, but they know third quarters are an issue, and until they start winning those, the win percentage won't improve.
6. The Warriors keep rolling: Eleven in a row now for Golden State with a long homestand underway. The next game is against the struggling Hawks (who always struggle on these long West Coast road trips). There's a good chance they don't have another loss going into their Dec. 7 meeting with the Clippers at Staples Center, and after that, it's not likely until Christmas and their first rematch with the Cavaliers. Golden State is rolling, even if the defense slipped a bit back Saturday.
7. Andrew Wiggins did something very bad to JaVale McGee: JaVale had a good game, and it's a good thing, since he's no longer with us -- Wiggins obliterated him. He will be missed.
