Getty Jordan Poole and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
After winning two games in a row, the Golden State Warriors dropped a game to the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 1 in embarrassing fashion. They were up by 14 points in the fourth quarter but ended up losing by a score of 119-115 in overtime.
During his post-game press conference, Stephen Curry name-dropped Draymond Green, noting a turnover he committed after a big stop by Green. Curry’s turnover helped the Timberwolves get back in the game.
“Tough turnover after Draymond got a stop on Naz [Reid],” Curry told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I tried to throw one over the top to get the fastbreak started, they stole it, [and] Naz got a layup. It just got the crowd into it. We had a little miscommunication on the one I threw behind half-court, trying to run a play, but we gave them an extra possession. And then it’s just basketball from that point in terms of trying to stop the momentum and make a couple of shots, it’s a different story. Having the chance to win down the stretch, [I had a] shot that I can take and make. [I] just missed it. So it’s just, again, a reminder of the little things on the road that are required to win, and we didn’t do it.”
Reid played a huge role in the Timberwolves’ victory, especially considering Minnesota was missing both Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. The young big man played 35:20, dropping 24 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists on 10-of-22 shooting from the field and 2-of-8 shooting from deep.
As for Curry, he put up some decent counting stats, but his efficiency and turnover numbers were rough. The superstar point guard ended the night with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. However, he turned the ball over four times and shot just 8-of-21 from the field and 5-of-12 from behind the three-point line.
D’Angelo Russell Praises Naz Reid After Win
In addition, former Warriors point guard D’Angelo Russell praised his teammate, Reid, after the game. He noted how the big man did a great job of containing Green and the other Warriors.
“Huge, huge, huge,” Russell said via Bally Sports North when asked about Reid’s impact. “Not even scoring, he was just committed to whatever it took to win. All the winning plays. He was scraping up defensive rebounds, and he was boxing out. He was attacking Draymond, guys like that. He was making it hard for him.”
Warriors Trade Deadline Plans Depend on Results
As the February 9 trade deadline quickly approaches, the Warriors’ decisions of how to act will largely depend on the results of their games against the Timberwolves (February 1) and Denver Nuggets (February 2), per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“It is believed that the next two games, Wednesday night at Minnesota and Thursday night at Denver, will have some influence on how aggressively the Warriors proceed approaching the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline,” Poole wrote.
With Golden State’s ugly loss to the Timberwolves, it seems more than likely that the Warriors will decide to make some sort of move by the deadline.