MINNEAPOLIS - Prior to Friday's matchup against the Wolves, Steve Kerr was asked how the Warriors matched up against Minnesota.
Kerr, ever the optimist, provided a candid answer.
"Hate to sound arrogant but we match up well against everybody," Kerr said.
Four hours later, the champs failed to back up their coach's words, shooting 46.9 percent from the field, getting outscored by the Wolves 32-18 in the third quarter, losing 131-130 in overtime.
The game was not without controversy. Following a 3-pointer from Stephen Curry with .5 seconds left, Kevin Durant was called for a foul defending Karl-Anthony Towns, who hit one of two free throws to seal the victory.
Sports
With the loss, the Warriors are now tied with Denver for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Here's are the takeaways from Friday's game.
Stephen Curry finds his shot
Entering Friday, Curry was shooting 40 percent over his last 13 games. Through his first two quarters, the former MVP tried to erase the cold streak, hitting five first-half 3-pointers, helping the Warriors take a 14-point lead into halftime, Curry finished with 37 points on 13-of-25 from the field and 11-of-19 from 3-point range.
Though he's regarded as the best shooter ever by most observers, Curry isn't immune to cold streaks. Over an 11-game stretch midway through the 2016-17 season, Curry shot just 28 percent from 3-point range, while averaging just 21 points per contest.
If Curry can sustain his performance from Friday, the Warriors' road in the postseason will be a whole lot easier.
Poor third quarter
Heading into Friday's game, Kerr said he urged his team to cut down on mistakes and close quarters well.
That did not happen in the third quarter, when Golden State squandered a 19-point lead, committed eight turnovers, and made just nine of their 25 shots in the period.
During their championship run, the third quarter has usually been a time the Warriors find their mojo. Entering Friday, Golden State was the No. 1 third-quarter scoring team in the league, averaging 30 points in third quarters.
For a team that's lived on the edge much of the season, hig- scoring third quarters will need to be a consistent occurrence.
Durant struggles
Entering Friday on the most efficient stretch of his career, Durant's shooting fell off a cliff, as he shot 8-of-22 from the field.
Nearly a week ago, Durant, one of the best scorers of all-time, opted to become more of a facilitator hunting for quality looks. The strategy worked as Durant went 17-of-19 from the field over a two-game stretch.
No one expects Durant to shoot as good as he did earlier this week, but a bounce-back performance will be welcomed Sunday in Charlotte.
