Golden State coach Steve Kerr left the door open for Stephen Curry and Draymond Inexperienced to return to the lineup Friday in San Francisco when the Warriors tackle the Minnesota Timberwolves to tip off a three-day, two-game, same-site sequence.
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The golf equipment who’ve but to face off this season are scheduled for a rematch on Sunday, additionally in San Francisco, mirroring an NBA-style doubleheader they’d final November, additionally in California. The Timberwolves swept these video games, the second of which having been memorable for Inexperienced placing Rudy Gobert in a headlock, drawing a five-game suspension.
On Thursday, Curry was resting sore knees and Inexperienced a painful left calf when the Warriors did what they do greatest beat the Houston Rockets 99-93 at residence on the entrance finish of a back-to-back set.
Jonathan Kuminga supplied the late-game heroics to cap a career-best 33-point efficiency, whereas Andrew Wiggins added 23 factors and 9 rebounds, serving to the Warriors snap a five-game shedding streak by beating the Rockets for a fifteenth straight time.
Kerr famous earlier than the sport that the illnesses for Curry and Inexperienced weren’t thought-about critical, however every has the potential to linger. So whereas taking part in on consecutive nights was out of the query, each Curry and Inexperienced had been scheduled for re-evaluation Friday.
And on his approach out the door, Kerr thanked Wiggins for coming to the rescue towards the Rockets.
“I don’t even know if he should have played,” Kerr mentioned, mentioning Wiggins’ sore proper ankle. “But he knew Steph and Draymond were out and he knew how important this game was and he gutted it out. Ironman. He’s been that ever since he’s been here.”
Whereas the Warriors have dominated the Rockets over time, it has been some time since they gotten the higher of the Timberwolves. Minnesota swept final 12 months’s three-game season collection, giving the Wolves a four-game successful streak towards Golden State.
The Timberwolves even have constructed a small run of wins over Pacific Division rivals of late, beating the Los Angeles groups a complete of thrice in a six-day stretch by way of Wednesday. They’re in the course of dealing with Pacific groups seven straight occasions, a sequence that started with a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 27 and continues after the outsized Golden State go to with a second duel towards the Lakers on Dec. 13.
The Timberwolves have held their previous three opponents the Clippers twice, sandwiching the Lakers to 92 factors or fewer. They adopted up a 109-80 win over the visiting Lakers on Monday with a 108-80 shellacking of the host Clippers on Wednesday.
Minnesota guard Donte DiVincenzo applauded the way in which he and his teammates responded to a four-game shedding streak that left the membership with an 8-10 report early final week.
“We’re not worried about what other people are saying. We’re focused on ourselves and staying together,” he mentioned. “Stack a few wins and everybody’s energy changes. So we just got to stay with it.”
DiVincenzo will probably be making his second journey to San Francisco since leaving the Warriors as a free agent following the 2022-23 season. He loved his preliminary homecoming with the Knicks final March, contributing 18 factors to New York’s 119-112 victory.
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