Warriors Classic vs Timberwolves: Steph Curry Drops 40 to Dismantle Minny, Ant-Man Edwards' 31 Goes to Waste

Saturday night at Chase Center was an absolute ripper, with the Warriors hosting the Timberwolves in a game that had me jumping off the couch multiple times. There was a bit of chatter before tip-off about Minny's young guns causing an upset, but from the opening bounce, Steph Curry just made them look ordinary. The pace was lightning, and the Warriors cruised to a big win, solidifying their spot in the West.

Curry on Fire, Wolves Have No Answers

Stephen Curry was absolutely unstoppable, finishing with 40 points and drilling 8 threes, leaving the Timberwolves' guards with their heads spinning. The third quarter was pure insanity; Curry dropped 17 for the quarter, hitting 4 of 5 from deep, including a couple that were launched from way beyond the arc. There was just no stopping him. Over in the Minny camp, Anthony Edwards gave it his all, constantly attacking the paint and drawing fouls. But after the margin blew out midway through the third, the whole team seemed to lose their spark, and they couldn't claw their way back no matter how hard they tried.

Minnesota's big men got absolutely monstered tonight. Julius Randle finished with just 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting and had no answers when Draymond Green and Kevon Looney double-teamed him in the paint. Green was immense, flirting with a triple-double (8 points, 9 rebounds, 12 assists) and adding 3 steals on defence, completely disrupting the Wolves' offence all night long.

Slick Warriors Passing Exposes Wolves' Imbalance

The ball movement from Golden State was a thing of beauty, the kind you'd show in a coaching clinic. They racked up 34 assists as a team, with bench player Brandin Podziemski making the most of his opportunities, dropping 18 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three. He was the X-factor. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, managed only 21 assists. For most of the game, it was Edwards playing hero-ball, driving hard to the basket or kicking it out, but his teammates couldn't buy a three. As a team, they shot just 9-of-31 from deep, under 30%. With firepower like that, you're not going to beat anyone.

For the Timberwolves, this game was a valuable lesson (how to use Warriors vs Timberwolves). If they want to make a deep playoff run, they absolutely have to sort out their second scoring option when Edwards gets trapped. Gobert's offensive game in the paint is limited, the bench is inconsistent, and their whole offence is way too one-dimensional. The Warriors saw this, packed the paint, dared them to shoot from outside, and when the shots didn't fall, they ran them off the court.

Stats That Tell the Story

Looking at the final box score, a few things really stand out:

• Curry notched his 8th game this season with 8+ three-pointers, extending his lead over second place on the all-time list.
• Edwards scored 30+ points for the 7th straight game, breaking Kevin Garnett's Timberwolves franchise record, but unfortunately, it was a career-high in a losing effort.
• The Warriors shot 50% from three (21-of-42), while the Timberwolves managed just 29% (9-of-31). That right there is the ball game.
• Second-chance points: Warriors 17, Timberwolves 8. This shows Golden State's extra grit on the boards and their ability to capitalise.

The Warriors head to Denver next to take on the Nuggets – we'll see if they can keep this hot streak alive. The Timberwolves head back home to face the Blazers, desperate for a win to get their mojo back. In the end, this Warriors vs Timberwolves clash was another reminder that in the NBA, team chemistry and slick ball movement will always beat individual talent.