Curry leads Warriors past Wolves in Edwards' first absence

Stephen Curry scored 44 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-114 on Wednesday night. The victory in Minneapolis marked the Warriors' second straight win, ending a three-game losing streak to open the season. Minnesota fell for the second consecutive time, dropping to a 3-2 record.

The game marked the first matchup without Anthony Edwards since the team announced he would undergo a procedure on his right knee. The Timberwolves expected Edwards to miss approximately two months of play.

Curry converted a three-point play to extend the Golden State lead to 24 points midway through the second half. That play gave the visitors a 78-54 advantage. Yaxel Lendeborg added 26 points for the Warriors, while Brandon Williams contributed 11 points off the bench.

Minnesota attempted a comeback after falling behind 93-81 at the end of the third quarter. The Timberwolves outscored Golden State 66-55 in the second half. Jonathan Kuminga scored 20 points against his former team, leading the Minnesota offense. Jaden McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. each finished with 19 points, and Ayo Dosunmu added 17.

Bones Hyland helped narrow the deficit during a late surge. He made a bank shot in the final seconds to cut the lead to three points. Curry then ended the scoring with two free throws to secure the final margin.

The Warriors controlled the early stages of the contest. They closed the first quarter on a 21-9 run to build a 30-23 lead. De'Anthony Melton hit two three-pointers during that sequence. Lendeborg also added a driving layup and a three-pointer in the first quarter.

Golden State led 64-48 at the half. Minnesota closed the third quarter on a 27-15 run to cut the deficit to 12 points. Hyland came off the bench and made a pair of three-pointers during that stretch to help the Timberwolves draw closer before the final quarter.