Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves rout slumping Warriors
Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket while Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors defends in the third quarter of the game at Target Center on January 16, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Warriors 119-99. David Berding/Getty Images/AFP
Karl-Anthony Towns put up a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double, and the host Minnesota Timberwolves took advantage of the absence of Golden State stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to post a 119-99 victory Sunday night in Minneapolis.
Jaylen Nowell (17 points) and Malik Beasley (16) combined for eight 3-pointers off the bench, helping the Timberwolves win for the fifth time in their past seven games.
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Anthony Edwards to the RIM!@Timberwolves 91@warriors 81
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The Warriors, who were without Green (strained lower back/calf) all four games of their 1-3 trip, sent Curry home a night early with right-hand soreness he experienced in Friday’s win at Chicago.
Article continues after this advertisementJordan Poole had 20 points Sunday to pace Golden State, which hopes to get Curry back when it opens a seven-game homestand Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons. Green already has been ruled out for at least the rest of the month.
In losing for the fifth time in their past seven outings, the undermanned Warriors hung with the host team for the better part of three quarters, then went up 80-79 on an Otto Porter Jr. 3-pointer with 3:57 remaining in the third quarter.
But the Timberwolves, getting a pair of 3-pointers from Beasley, closed the period on a 12-1 run to take a 91-81 lead, then got two more threes from Beasley and one from Jaden McDaniels in a 20-3 burst that opened the final quarter and blew the game open at 111-84.
Beasley finished 5-for-9 on 3-pointers and Nowell 3-for-5 for Minnesota, which outscored Golden State 48-39 from beyond the arc.
Jarred Vanderbilt (10 points) and Patrick Beverley (10) also scored in double figures for the Timberwolves, who won despite getting just nine points from Anthony Edwards and seven from D’Angelo Russell.
Russell did contribute a game-high 12 assists.
Vanderbilt made all five of his shots from the field and Towns 11 of his 20 as Minnesota outshot Golden State 49.5 percent to 39 percent en route to evening their season series at a game apiece.
For the Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga had 19 points, Klay Thompson 13, and Porter and Andrew Wiggins 12 apiece. Kevon Looney grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go with four points.
