Minnesota Timberwolves (41-26) beat Golden State Warriors (32-34) 127-117 on the road on Friday, March 13, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Timberwolves struck first, taking the opening quarter 31-28 and a 3-point lead after one. The Timberwolves kept the pressure on with a 38-20 second quarter, carrying a 21-point lead into halftime.
The Warriors won the third 39-31 to stay in front, taking a 13-point lead into the fourth. The Warriors took the fourth 30-27; the Timberwolves held on for a 127-117 regulation win.
What decided it
The Timberwolves got more from their shots, finishing at 63.4% effective field-goal shooting compared with 47.9% for the Warriors. The Timberwolves made 28 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 24.7 for the Warriors. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Warriors did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 7.8 against 16.3. The Timberwolves made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 100 possessions per team, the Timberwolves produced 126.7 points per 100 possessions to 116.7 for the Warriors.
Who made the difference
Anthony Edwards was the game's biggest individual force for MIN: 42 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast on 13-22 shooting. His Game Score of 36.6 led everyone. His team was +10 with him on the floor.
Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 25 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast on 8-17 shooting, good for a 20.7 Game Score.
Brandin Podziemski (25 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 44% for the Timberwolves.
Across the last 12 meetings in our records, Minnesota Timberwolves lead 7-5.
The Timberwolves are now 41-26, and the Warriors are 32-34. The Timberwolves last five before this game: W-W-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.