Timberwolves find their shooting touch in 117-93 win over Warriors in Game 2

Chris Hine, The Minnesota Star Tribune on May 8, 2025

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MINNEAPOLIS — Too often, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been an unserious basketball team. They have had a tendency to let winnable games slip away more than they should when other teams are down key players. Thursday was the first test to see if they learned from their mistakes, as they faced a Golden State Warriors team that won’t have Stephen Curry (strained left hamstring) for at least a few more games in this series.

The Wolves didn’t play a perfect game, but they came away with a 117-93 victory.

Julius Randle keyed the offense early with 24 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds and the Wolves got contributions up and down the lineup. Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6 for 13) after he played through an injured left ankle suffered in the second quarter.

Jaden McDaniels, who has had a strong playoffs, had 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting while Nickeil Alexander-Walker bounced back from a recent slump with 20 points (7 for 13).

Jimmy Butler had 17 for Golden State while Jonathan Kuminga had 18 off the bench.

The Wolves shot 50.6% on the night and were 16 for 37 from 3-point range after shooting the worst percentage in the NBA playoffs over their past two games.

The Wolves came out with a burst of energy from the jump, as Jaden McDaniels and Mike Conley hit the Wolves’ first two 3-point attempts of the night. The Wolves raced out to an 8-0 lead, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr called timeout.

The Wolves extended that lead to 13-0 before Butler scored the first five points for the Warriors. Edwards had yet to score. He scored his first points on free throws with 4:32 left in the period, and that snapped a Wolves scoring drought of four minutes. This was the precursor to another burst of scoring. The Wolves hit the offensive glass for eight second-chance points, and Edwards hit his first 3 of the night as the Wolves went ahead 25-7, prompting another timeout from Kerr.

The Wolves led 29-15 after one quarter. Edwards and Randle led them in scoring with seven points each.

The Wolves held their breath in the second quarter as Edwards left the game with an injury to his left ankle. After a drive to the basket, Edwards fell and did not get up as he grabbed the area around his left ankle. He needed help off the floor as the Wolves called timeout, but he’d later return. The Wolves led 56-39 at halftime.

Kerr said before the game he would be searching for connections and combinations that worked, and he went 14 deep into his bench, six more than the Wolves typically play. The series had its first uniquely Draymond Green moment as Green was whistled for a dead-ball technical foul for shoving Naz Reid in the head after Reid fouled him. Green continued screaming and appearing to curse at officials without another technical as the crowd jeered.

Randle led the Wolves with 16 at the half while McDaniels had 10.

Even though Edwards returned, the Wolves came out flat with some weird energy to start the second half. Coach Chris Finch pulled Randle after Randle committed a turnover and then didn’t get back on defense, and Randle was upset on the bench. Golden State seized on the Wolves’ lack of focus and opened the half 16-6 to cut the Wolves’ lead to seven before Finch called timeout.

Eventually Golden State had to go to its bench again, and when it did, the Wolves pounced. 3-pointers from Reid and Donte DiVincenzo buoyed the Wolves through that stretch, as did the play of McDaniels, who was up to 16 points by the end of the third. After an Alexander-Walker 3, the Wolves were up 76-58. Another Alexander-Walker 3 later in the quarter got the lead back to 20.

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