NBA Action: Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Golden State Warriors will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a Western Conference showdown on Friday night. This game is likely to be a high scoring affair as both teams are in the top-10 in scoring average. The Warriors and Timberwolves have not met this season, but both were Western Conference playoff teams a season ago.

The Minnesota Timberwolves come into this game with a 4-4 record and are in fourth place in the Northwest Division. The Timberwolves have won two straight games, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz. Golden State is 8-1 through their first nine games this season to lead the Western Conference. The Warriors are an 11 point favorite over the Timberwolves on Friday night.

Golden State is averaging a league-best 125 points per game this season while racking up almost 31 assists per game. Stephen Curry leads the team with 33 points per game and is shooting an incredible 53% from three-point range. The Warriors as a team are shooting 42% on three-point attempts, and are making over thirteen 3’s per game. Golden State continues to amaze with their offensive efficiency.

Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are the two best defensive players on the Warriors, but both have performed well on offense this season as well. Klay Thompson poured in 52 points and an NBA record fourteen made three-point field goals in a recent win over the Chicago Bulls. Draymond Green is averaging 8.1 assists per game while continuing to guard all five positions. The Warriors will not be an easy team to beat this season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are 0-3 on the road this season, and a big reason has been their breakdown on defense. Minnesota is giving up 118.5 points per game this season, which is the fifth worst scoring average in the NBA. The return of Jimmy Butler for this game should help the Wolves defense as he is widely considered their best defender.

Veteran point guard Derrick Rose poured in a career-high 50 points in the Minnesota win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. The former NBA Most Valuable Player has battled through several injuries in recent seasons but showed that he still has the capability of leading an offense. Center Karl-Anthony Towns has been a monster this season for the Wolves, averaging 18.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Minnesota will need a huge team effort if they are going to knock off the defending champs.

The Golden State Warriors look to be in midseason form already, and their offense has been putting on a show all season. The Timberwolves have plenty of talent on offense as well, but their defense has been awful this season. Poor defense is a recipe for disaster against the Warriors, and Golden State will put on an offensive show in this game. Bet the Golden State Warriors -11.0 over the Timberwolves on Friday night.