Warriors: Golden State drops second straight on the road without Curry.
MINNEAPOLIS — Twenty minutes after losing their second straight game for just the second time this season, Warriors players filtered out from the showers. Their expressionless faces suggested little disappointment.
With a month until the playoffs, a rash of injuries has forced Golden State to adjust on the fly. Five contributors, including the face of the franchise, missed Sunday afternoon’s 109-103 loss to the Timberwolves at Target Center.
As Stephen Curry underwent treatment this weekend in the Bay Area on his tweaked right ankle, Quinn Cook — a two-way-contract player who has spent most of the season in the G League — started at point guard in road defeats to two playoff-caliber teams. It is easy for the Warriors to keep such setbacks in perspective because, barring any unforeseen developments, they should be at full strength by the postseason.
“We’re just in a bit of a tough stretch,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “I’m really pleased with the effort. We’ll get some guys back here, hopefully in the next week or
two, and I’m very confident with where we’re heading.”
Three days ago, fresh off its seventh consecutive win since the All-Star break, Golden State was in envious territory: After struggling to focus much of the season, it was finally beginning to pair consistent defensive effort with a potent offense. That the Warriors were peaking down the stretch mattered more than the fact that they still trailed Houston for the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed.
Now, after going two months without a major injury, Golden State is trying to make do without half of Kerr’s regular rotation. Among those listed on Sunday’s injury report were a two-time NBA MVP (Curry), a former Finals MVP (Andre Iguodala, left wrist sprain), a two-time AllStar (David West, right-arm cyst), a productive rookie (Jordan Bell, right ankle sprain) and a backup shooting guard (Patrick McCaw, fractured left wrist).
Less than 48 hours after he scored 40 points in a loss to Portland, Durant again tried unsuccessfully to will his team to victory, posting 39 points and 12 rebounds in 39 minutes. His 32 shot attempts were his most since March 2014.
With the Warriors trailing by seven midway through the fourth quarter, Durant got aggressive, powering his team within 104-103 with 2:08 left. Karl-Anthony Towns hit two shots to help Minnesota create some distance late. As the final seconds ticked away, a capacity crowd rose to its feet as Towns raised both arms wide, encouraging fans to get louder.
“The season is always a tune-up for the playoffs,” said Durant, who has totaled 116 points over his past three outings. “If we won this game, we weren’t going to spray Champagne in the locker room and be excited on our way back to the Bay. With a loss, we can’t hang our head. We’ve just got to keep playing, keep working, and we’ll be fine.”
For the second game in a row, Durant didn’t get enough support.
Cook had only four points in 29 minutes. Nick Young, nursing a strained back after he fell chasing a loose ball in the second quarter, went scoreless in 22 minutes on 0-for-4 shooting. To score 21 points, Klay Thompson needed 22 shots. Golden State finished 40.7 percent from the field, including 10-for-36 from three-point range.
The good news: With two days off, the Warriors could be close to completely healthy for Wednesday’s home game against the Lakers. The injuries that sidelined the five players Sunday are not considered serious.
“Those guys are smart, and we’re looking forward to having them back because they definitely change our team, and get us back to what we want to do as a basketball team,” Durant said. “We have a system in place that maximizes everybody’s strengths. You can see if you take a few guys out, it’s a totally different game.
“I’m proud of how everyone’s trying to figure it out, and we just have to keep working, man.”