Golden State Warriors Beat Timberwolves in Game 1 of Western Conference Semifinals

The Golden State Warriors started their Western Conference Semifinal series with a strong 99-88 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. This gives the Warriors a 1-0 lead in their first-ever playoff meeting with the Timberwolves.

The Warriors came into this game just under 48 hours after beating the Houston Rockets in a tough Game 7 of the first round. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves reached the semifinals with an unusual 4-1 series win over the LA Lakers.

In Game 1, Buddy Hield stepped up for the Warriors after Stephen Curry left the game in the second quarter with a hamstring injury. Hield led the team with 24 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Jimmy Butler also had a strong performance, scoring 20 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and giving eight assists. Draymond Green, who recently became the fifth fastest player in NBA playoff history to reach 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists, added 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards led with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and two assists. Naz Reid contributed 19 points and five rebounds, while Julius Randle added 18 points, three rebounds, and six assists.

The Timberwolves started the game with Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Anthony Edwards, and Mike Conley. Rob Dillingham missed the game due to an ankle injury. The Warriors started with Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Hield, Butler, and Green, but Curry had to leave in the second quarter due to injury.

The Warriors came out strong, starting with an 11-2 run in the first quarter. The Timberwolves struggled early, missing five shots in a row. However, they bounced back with an 8-0 run to take a 14-13 lead midway through the first quarter. The quarter ended with the Timberwolves leading 20-18, while the Warriors went 0-for-8 from three-point range.

In the second quarter, the Warriors had a 9-0 run that gave them a five-point lead. By halftime, Golden State was ahead 44-31. Green had already scored 16 points, and Curry had 13 before leaving the game. The Timberwolves were still struggling, missing all 15 of their three-point shots by halftime.

The Warriors kept up the pressure in the third quarter, finishing with an 8-0 run to lead 80-60. Buddy Hield scored 16 points in that quarter alone.

The Timberwolves tried to come back in the fourth quarter with an 11-3 run, cutting the lead to 15 points, and later down to 10. But the Warriors held firm and finished the game 99-88 winners.

Game 2 will also be played at the Target Center on Thursday, 8 May