Curry Drops 44 Points as Short-Handed Warriors Hold Off Timberwolves 119-114

The Golden State Warriors held off the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 119-114 road victory at Target Center on Wednesday night, propelled by a 44-point masterclass from Stephen Curry and another historic milestone from rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg. Despite both teams playing without several key contributors, Golden State managed to preserve a late lead to earn its second straight win.

Curry was virtually unstoppable throughout the evening, pairing his game-high 44 points with eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals. The veteran guard caused constant trouble for Minnesota's perimeter defenders, drawing contact repeatedly and finishing a flawless 16-for-16 from the free-throw line to steer the Warriors through crunch time.

The night also belonged to Lendeborg, who recorded 26 points and nine rebounds after entering the contest listed as questionable on the injury report. Through his first five career games, the 24-year-old rookie is averaging 22.6 points and 9.2 rebounds. According to the league, Lendeborg is the first player since Shaquille O'Neal in 1992 to average at least 20 points and nine rebounds across his opening five NBA games. Selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Lendeborg joined Golden State after collegiate stops at Arizona Western, UAB, and a national championship run at Michigan.

Brandin Podziemski also provided key contributions for the Warriors in his second game back from a back injury, compiling eight points, six assists, and five rebounds. Podziemski finished behind only Curry in free-throw attempts, making four of his seven shots from the foul line. Following the game, Podziemski explained that he spent his offseason studying tape of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson to learn how to manipulate pace and generate foul opportunities for an offense that rarely shoots high volumes of free throws.

The contest featured an emotional reunion for Minnesota forward Jonathan Kuminga against his former club. Kuminga was seen trading words with members of Golden State's bench during the closing minutes, but he quickly diffused any perception of hostility during postgame interviews, explaining that the exchange was friendly banter with his former player development coach.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Podziemski each spoke fondly of Kuminga after the final buzzer. Kerr noted that Kuminga is developing well under Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch and wished him prolonged success. Podziemski added that the locker room continues to root for Kuminga, praising his ability to secure a regular starting spot in Minnesota's lineup.

The Timberwolves faced an uphill battle after losing franchise star Anthony Edwards to an upcoming knee surgery that will sideline him for roughly two months. With Donte DiVincenzo also out due to an Achilles injury, Minnesota leaned on a reshuffled rotation featuring Kuminga, LaMelo Ball, and Rudy Gobert, but they could not overcome Golden State's late-game execution.

Golden State, which competed without injured players Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, and Kristaps Porzingis, improved its record after a slow start to the campaign. The Warriors will now head back home to host Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night in their opening matchup of the NBA Cup.