MINNEAPOLIS -- Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry eclipsed 40 points for an NBA record 46th time since his 30th birthday, needing his best statistical night of the early season to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-114 on Wednesday night.
Curry's 44-point night was a performance fueled by the game plan. The Warriors' coaching staff wanted to get Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert out of the paint, so they spammed high-screen action with Curry in the first half to drag Gobert into space.
It worked. The reeling Timberwolves, playing their first game since losing Anthony Edwards to an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee, were scattered in their coverage on the back end and an aggressive Curry shredded them.
Two nights earlier, the Denver Nuggets sold out to stop Curry, and he attempted only one shot in the first half, finishing an efficient but tame 8-of-8 from the field.
On Wednesday night, Curry fired up six shots in the first seven minutes and then 10 more in the second quarter. At halftime, he had 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including five 3s. The fifth came from 31 feet out, an audacious attempt that always signals an in-rhythm Curry.
"I'm just watching like, man, this guy is good as hell," Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg said. "It's crazy. I caught myself shaking my head a couple times."
The Warriors led by as many as 24 points, but Minnesota eventually forced a batch of turnovers, sped up the older team and threatened deep into the fourth quarter.
Despite wobbly moments, Curry and the Warriors ultimately closed. He dove on the floor for a third-quarter loose ball, telling reporters later it was a sign of how well his body was feeling on a night he eclipsed 30 minutes for the first time this season.
In the fourth quarter, despite cooling off from the field, Curry buried the Timberwolves at the free throw line. He made all seven of his free throws in the final eight minutes and finished 16-of-16 from the line.
"We still have a lot of things to [improve], but you like learning lessons while you're winning," Curry said. "The 2-1 road trip is great. Step in the right direction."
The Warriors opened the season with three straight losses, including a 12-point collapse in the final three minutes of their home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies. Considering the daunting schedule ahead, there was a slight bit of panic about an early-season spiral.
But the Warriors have since responded. They blew out the Nuggets in Denver on Monday night behind 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists from Lendeborg in his fourth career game and then survived against the Timberwolves behind a fresh Curry.
"There's a slight bit of relief," Curry said. "But still an understanding that in the Memphis game, the second half tonight, we know we can play better."
Lendeborg finished with 26 points and nine rebounds against the Timberwolves, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he was in a sour mood postgame because of his seven turnovers.
"I played hella soft today," Lendeborg said.
The Warriors return to San Francisco for a six-game homestand that begins with Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. The Lakers crushed the Warriors in the opener and Lendeborg got in a memorable dustup with Doncic that spilled over into the postgame news conferences.
Asked whether he was looking forward to the rematch, Lendeborg said, "Absolutely."
"Yes, I am," he said. "I'll talk about that more on Friday."