Golden State coach Steve Kerr left open the possibility that Stephen Curry and Draymond Green could return to the lineup on Friday in San Francisco when the Warriors play the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This game is the first of a two-game series that will continue with a rematch on Sunday, also in San Francisco. The teams haven’t faced each other yet this season but played a similar doubleheader last November, which the Timberwolves swept. The second game was memorable for Green putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock, leading to a five-game suspension for Green.
On Thursday, Curry rested his sore knees, and Green sat out due to a painful left calf when the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets 99-93 at home.
Jonathan Kuminga had a career-best 33-point performance, and Andrew Wiggins contributed 23 points and nine rebounds, helping the Warriors end a five-game losing streak. Kerr mentioned before the game that Curry and Green’s injuries were not serious, though they could last longer.
While they couldn’t play in consecutive games, both were set to be re-evaluated on Friday.
Before the game, Kerr thanked Wiggins for his effort in the win, despite playing with a sore right ankle. “I don’t even know if he should have played,” Kerr said. “But he knew Steph and Draymond were out, and he knew how important this game was, and he gutted it out. Ironman. He’s been that ever since he’s been here.”
While the Warriors have usually dominated the Rockets, it’s been a while since they’ve beaten the Timberwolves. Minnesota swept the three-game season series last year, extending their winning streak against Golden State to four games.
The Timberwolves have been on a winning streak against Pacific Division teams, beating the Los Angeles teams three times in six days. They are in the middle of facing seven consecutive teams from the Pacific Division. This streak started with a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 27 and continues after the Warriors with a game against the Lakers on Dec. 13.
Minnesota has held their last three opponents to 92 points or fewer. They beat the Lakers 109-80 on Monday and followed that with a 108-80 win over the Clippers on Wednesday.
Minnesota guard Donte DiVincenzo praised the team for bouncing back after a tough start to the season, saying, “We’re not worried about what other people are saying. We’re focused on ourselves and staying together. Stack a few wins and everybody’s energy changes. So we just got to stay with it.”
DiVincenzo will be returning to San Francisco for the second time since leaving the Warriors as a free agent after the 2022-23 season. He had a strong performance in his first return last March with the Knicks, scoring 18 points in New York’s 119-112 win.
