Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Stephen Curry scored a season-high 44 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 119-114 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at Target Center in Minneapolis, according to the Associated Press report carried by theScore.
Curry, 38, shot 11 of 27 from the field, including six three-pointers, and was a perfect 16 of 16 from the free-throw line, adding eight rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes, according to the report. He had 23 points by halftime, and Golden State led by 24 points when he checked out with 5:01 left in the third quarter.
Minnesota, playing without injured guard Anthony Edwards, refused to fold. According to the Associated Press, the Timberwolves announced Tuesday that Edwards would miss extended time after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee; he had averaged 33.3 points through the team's first four games. Jonathan Kuminga led Minnesota with 20 points against his former team, while Jaden McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. each scored 19.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg added 26 points and nine rebounds for Golden State, according to the box score. After trailing by 24, Minnesota climbed back in the fourth quarter and had multiple chances to make it a one-possession game in the final minute, but McDaniels missed two shots from deep and Golden State held firm.
The win is Golden State's second straight after an 0-3 start, while Minnesota has dropped two in a row after starting 3-0, according to the Associated Press. Curry's 44-point night also tied LeBron James for the most 40-point games at age 35 or older in NBA history, according to the NBA's own post.
Elsewhere on Wednesday's 12-game slate, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the LA Clippers 103-87, the Dallas Mavericks beat Oklahoma City 120-96, and the Miami Heat earned their first win of the season, 129-117 at Atlanta, according to the night's results. What happens next for Golden State is a test of whether the early-season turnaround holds; for Minnesota, it is learning how to win without its leading scorer.