Russell's postseason career-high 40 points sees the Timberwolves take game 1 of the WCSF against the Warriors
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SAN FRANCISCO, MAY 3 – D’Angelo Russell provided a second half spark that propelled the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 1117-109 game 1 victory over the Golden State Warriors in the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals. Russell, scored 14 points in the third quarter and 16 in the fourth as he set a career high in the postseason with 40 points against his former team. In a fiercely contested game, where there were over 16 lead changes and 10 ties, the Minnesota Timberwolves did what they have done all season long – come through and found a way to win. It wasn’t a particularly great fourth quarter for the Warriors. Malik Beasley scored Minnesota’s first seven points of the quarter while Golden State lagged behind, going 2 of 8 from the field. They would end the quarter 9 of 29 (31%) from the field. As the game progressed, Minnesota heated up. They scored 43% from the field in the first, 46% in the second and 52% in the third – thanks to Russell, who went 5 of 9 in 8 minutes of action. Karl Anthony-Towns hit all of his five field goals to give him 10 points for the quarter. “He made the plays required, the plays we know he can make and the plays he wants to make. He wants the ball in his hand with the outcome at stake,” said Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders. While Andrew Wiggins put 31 points up against his former team and Stephen Curry scoring 29 points, all eyes were on Minnesota’s response to a nine point deficit in the third quarter.
While Minnesota enjoyed a fourth quarter resurgence, after Anthony Wiggins’ last second 3-pointer in the third quarter gave them the lead, you can’t help and think if the Warriors are heading for the exit after so many years of dominance atop the Western Conference. Stephen Curry hit just 5 of his 9 field goals in the fourth quarter. He was far from the best player on the court tonight. That can be rewarded to D’Angelo Russell, who played the night of his career. That shouldn’t distract from the real underlying reason why the Minnesota Timberwolves came away as winners. The whole team played consistently good, with a different player having an impact in each quarter. While Kelly Oubre Jr didn’t have the double-digit mouth watering game, he did score six points in the first quarter and instilled energy on Minnesota’s side of the court. In a winning effort, Oubre finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Jeremy Lin lit a fire for the Timberwolves coming off the bench in the second quarter, scoring 11 points and hitting both of his three-point attempts. Russell’s 14 points in the third quarter allowed the Timberwolves to keep up with the Warriors in scoring and Malik Beasley’s fourth quarter fast start allowed them to take their first lead since the second quarter and Russel’s end game dominance gave them the much deserved victory.
“He’s a special player,” said Karl Anthony-Towns after the game on D’Angelo Russell. “He has a chip on his shoulder. You know the Lakers scenario, Brooklyn, the Warriors trade. The All-Star absence. He wants to show he’s the best point guard in the league.” Towns had a relatively quiet night, registering just 17 points. He made good on 7 of his 13 shots and went 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. When the Warriors allowed Towns the position to make a move in the interior, he came away with points. His 10 rebounds were second on the team behind Naz Reid’s 14. The Warriors have had problems with depth on the bench all season long. That was more apparent tonight than any loss during the regular season. The Timberwolves’ starting five ended up outplaying the Warriors’ equivalents and Minnesota’s bench did the same. Warriors coach Steven Kerr was optimistic about the Warriors chances this series but fired out a warning “Teams which go to the NBA Finals are complete. They have the offense, defense and bench to give them a well rounded venture. We have the guys that can do that, than can take us to the Finals, but we need to perform like it in game.” The Warriors will have another opportunity to show they have what it takes to get back to a sixth NBA Finals in seven years. They’ll need to defend a whole lot better if they are to return to the most coveted prize in Basketball.
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