Curry's 44 points lead Warriors past Timberwolves

Stephen Curry scored 44 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-114 on Wednesday night. The win in Minneapolis marked the second consecutive victory for Golden State, which had lost its first three games of the season.

Yaxel Lendeborg contributed 26 points for the visitors, while Brandon Williams added 11 off the bench. Curry sealed the game in the closing seconds by making two free throws after Bones Hyland's bank shot reduced Minnesota's deficit to three points.

The Warriors built a commanding early lead. Golden State closed the first quarter with a 21-9 run to take a 30-23 advantage. De'Anthony Melton hit two three-pointers during that stretch, and Lendeborg added a driving layup and a three-pointer. Lendeborg's later layup gave Golden State its first double-digit lead at 48-38 with 6:29 remaining in the first half.

Golden State finished the half ahead 64-48 after scoring seven of the last nine points. Lendeborg hit a three-pointer, and Will Richard and Curry each made two free throws during that final minute of the first half. Curry extended the lead to 24 points in the second half by completing a three-point play that made the score 78-54.

The Timberwolves fought back in the third quarter, closing it on a 27-15 run to cut the deficit to 12 at 93-81. Hyland came off the bench and made two three-pointers during that rally. Although Minnesota outscored Golden State 66-55 in the second half, the team could not complete the comeback.

Jonathan Kuminga led Minnesota with 20 points in his first matchup against his former team. Jaden McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. each scored 19 points, and Ayo Dosunmu finished with 17. The Timberwolves, who started the season 3-0, have now lost two straight games.

Elsewhere in the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 114-109. Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points and hit two three-pointers in the final 1:10 to secure the win. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Washington Wizards 121-111, ending the NBA debut of AJ Dybantsa with a 19-point performance.