The Warriors now lead the series 1-0 against the Wolves.
The Golden State Warriors kicked off their Western Conference Semifinals series with a 99-88 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. With this, the Dubs now lead the first-ever playoff showdown against the Timberwolves 1-0. Notably, the Warriors took down the Houston Rockets less than 48 hours ago in Game 7 of the first-round series. On the other hand, the Wolves booked their semi finals berth with an unorthodox 4-1 win over the LA Lakers.
The game saw Buddy Hield leading the Warriors, who lost Stephen Curry to a hamstring strain in the second quarter of the game. Hield dropped 24 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, while Jimmy Butler came up with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Draymond Green, who became the fifth fastest player in NBA playoff history to reach 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists, dropped 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards led the charts with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and two assists while Naz Reid tallied 19 points, five rebounds, and one assist. Julius Randle poured in 18 points, three rebounds and six assists.
Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler Take Warriors To Game 1 Win Over Timberwolves
The hosts headed into the game with the starting lineup consisting of Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Anthony Edwards, and Mike Conley. They had Rib Dillingham missing the game with an ankle sprain. On the other hand, the Dubs had Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. However, the Dubs lost Curry in the second quarter due to a hamstring strain, and he was soon ruled out for the rest of the game.
Talking about the game, the Warriors went all out right from the beginning and went for an 11-2 run in the opening quarter. On the other hand, the Wolves were visibly struggling and ended up missing their five consecutive field goals. However, halfway through the opening quarter, the Wolves went on an 8-0 run to cut the seven-point deficit and gain a 14-13 lead.
By the end of the first quarter, the hosts lead the seven-time champions 20-18 with 0-for-8 shooting from threes. Curry was leading the Dubs with eight points, shooting 2-for-4 from the three-point arc. In the second quarter, the Warriors had a 9-0 run spanning over the end of the first and the beginning of the second. It helped them cut the four-point deficit, and gain a lead by five points.
Also Read: From Down 20 To Up 2–0 – Tyrese Haliburton’s Game Winner Stuns Cavs in Wild Cavaliers vs. Pacers Finish
Golden State gained a huge lead and were 44-31 headed into halftime. They had Draymond Green scoring 16 points, while Curry dropped 13 points before leaving the game. On the other hand, the Wolves’ struggles continued as they went 0-for-15 from the three-point range.
The Dubs continued with their momentum and had an 8-0 run towards the end of the third quarter, which helped them extend their lead to 21 points. The third quarter ended with them leading the tally 80-60 with Buddy Hield scoring 16 points in the period.
As the fourth quarter began, the Timberwolves tried to make a comeback and went on an 11-3 run, to cut the deficit to 15 points. At one point, they were able to cut the deficit to ten points, but the Dubs pushed harder and ended the game with a 99-88 win to gain a 1-0 lead in the series.
In Game 2 of the series, the Warriors will return to Target Center on Thursday, May 8.
Also Read: “We Were Very, Very Happy” – Clippers President Dismisses Exit Talk of 2 Franchise Stars
