Steph Curry rejects comeback bid as Wolves fall to Warriors

Curry finished with 31 points and 10 assists and hit two key 3s in the waning minutes.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid dribbles the ball past Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II in the first half at Target Center in Minneapolis on Dec. 21, 2024.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid dribbles the ball past Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II in the first half at Target Center in Minneapolis on Dec. 21, 2024. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Steph Curry turned around with a skip in his step and let out a yell toward the sold-out Target Center crowd.

Curry had just drilled a 3-pointer with 2 minutes, 9 seconds remaining in Saturday night's game in Minneapolis, putting the Golden State Warriors up 11 with the dagger from deep. His efforts powered the Warriors to a 113-103 victory.

That was just one of many from Curry, who finished with 31 points, 10 assists, in the waning minutes as he stifled a comeback attempt from the Wolves (14-13), who got themselves within striking distance despite not being able to buy a shot in the first half. Curry scored 14 points in the final four minutes to turn a two-point edge into a double-digit victory.

The Wolves had put themselves in a tough position in the first half, when it couldn't have been more of a slog offensively. They mustered just 15 points in the first quarter and were held scoreless for the first six-and-a-half minutes of the second frame. Minnesota made just six of its first 32 attempts from the field and trailed by as many as 21 points in the second.

"We got to put the ball in the basket," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. "That's why we were down tonight. We weren't down because of our defense. We weren't down because we had a bunch of breakdowns. We just couldn't make a shot."

The Warriors (15-12) were nearly as cold and were unable to seize the opportunity. Golden State won the second quarter by just two points overall, and the Wolves entered the half down 13 when the deficit could have been more significant.

The shots started to fall in the second half, and the Wolves found themselves back in it. Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo each scored 19 points to lead the Wolves; Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 12 rebounds; and Naz Reid added another 16 points off the bench. But it ultimately wasn't enough as Curry when into takeover mode in the fourth quarter.

The Wolves will look to get back on track Monday night when they visit the Atlanta Hawks for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff.


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Nolan O'Hara
NOLAN O'HARA

Nolan O'Hara covers all things Minnesota sports, primarily the Timberwolves, for Bring Me The News and Sports Illustrated's On SI network. He previously worked as a copy editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Hubbard School of Journalism. His work has appeared in the Pioneer Press, Ratchet & Wrench magazine, the Minnesota Daily and a number of local newspapers in Minnesota, among other publications.