On Tuesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves evened the Western Conference semifinals at 1-1 at Target Center. They cruised to a dominant 117-93 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 2, sending a clear message after a rough Game 1.

It’s undeniable that the Warriors were without their superstar guard Stephen Curry. Reports said he missed the game due to a left hamstring injury and is expected to be out for at least a week. On the other hand, Minnesota overcame a scare when Anthony Edwards went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter. Yet, the 6’4” footer still managed to maintain control from start to finish.

Edwards’ injury appeared serious at first. He landed awkwardly after a contested layup, his ankle caught under Trayce Jackson-Davis’ foot. He was helped to the locker room but could not put any weight on his left leg. The Timberwolves initially listed him as questionable to return with a left ankle sprain. It is the same ankle he tweaked in Game 1.

However, Edwards returned after halftime with his team already up 56-39 and started the third quarter. He finished with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. His presence helped stabilize the Timberwolves and energize the crowd.

Coach Chris Finch admitted he didn’t expect Edwards to return. He stated, “This one I was really worried about. I was really planning on not seeing him the rest of the game.” Edwards, however, played through the pain and said post-game, “I’m feeling great, yeah, feeling great.”

Another key contributor for Minnesota was Julius Randle, who had his best game of the playoffs. Randle scored 24 points, dished out 11 assists, and grabbed 7 rebounds. He narrowly missed a triple-double and looked more aggressive and efficient than in Game 1. It was just the fourth time in his 732-game NBA career that he had at least 10 field goals and 10 assists. It is a record-breaking goal that happened in a non-overtime game.

After a tense exchange with Coach Finch in the third quarter, Randle came back onto the court more focused. “I just had to get that out. I was frustrated, obviously he was frustrated,” Randle explained. “When I came back in, I channeled that energy in a positive way for our team.”

Minnesota’s bench also stepped up in a big way. Nickeil Alexander-Walker broke out of a shooting slump with 20 points on 7-of-13, including four three-pointers. He had struggled through the first six playoff games, but found his rhythm at the perfect time. Jaden McDaniels added 16 points, shooting an efficient 70% from the field.

Overall, the Timberwolves shot 43% from deep (15-for-35), a big jump from their ice-cold 12-for-76 combined effort in the previous two games. Coach Finch praised the effort, saying, “A lot more like ourselves. The start was great for us—that’s what we needed. It set the tone.”

On the other side, the Warriors struggled mightily without Curry. Head coach Steve Kerr experimented with lineups, using 14 players in the first half. The constant shuffling didn’t produce results. Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State with 18 points off the bench and shot 8-of-11. Jimmy Butler added 17 points and 7 rebounds, but the offense lacked cohesion. Trayce Jackson-Davis had a brief but effective run, scoring 15 points with 6 rebounds in just 9 minutes

 Still, the Warriors never looked in sync, committing 20 turnovers as they tried to adjust to life without their floor general. Butler described the team’s approach as “experimental” and said, “I still would like to win, but I think the biggest thing is don’t stoff in a hole like we did tonight.”

Curry may not have been in uniform, but his presence was still felt. He even helped calm down Draymond Green after the forward picked up a technical foul. Green had struck Naz Reid in the head during a heated second-quarter exchange. Green now has five technical fouls in the playoffs and is just two away from an automatic one-game suspension.

Coach Kerr acknowledged the issue, saying, “He’s going to have to be careful. He knows the circumstances.”

Looking ahead, the series now shifts to San Francisco for Game 3 on Saturday night at Chase Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. Edwards isn’t concerned about the road challenge.

Warriors vs Timberwolves Game 2 Stats

Final Score: Minnesota Timberwolves 117 – Golden State Warriors 93
Quarter Scores: 30–23, 26–16, 34–27, 27–27

Minnesota Timberwolves:
Randle 24, Edwards 20, Alexander-Walker 20, McDaniels 16, Gobert 10, Reid 8, Conley 7, Prince 6, Towns 4, Milton 2, Moore Jr. 0, Clark 0Golden State Warriors:
Kuminga 18, Butler 17, Jackson-Davis 15, Green 9, Podziemski 8, Looney 6, Wiggins 5, Joseph 5, Moody 4, Paul 4, Post 2, Thompson 0, Payton II 0, Santos 0