Williams, Ellis lead Warriors to a 108-99 win over the embattled Timberwolves
Monta Ellis rode high in the first half and Reggie Williams followed him in the second as the two guards combined to score 60 points and in the process snapped a seven match losing spree for the Golden State Warriors.
After opening up with an ice-cold 17-point first quarter, the Warriors, ranked 20th in the league in terms of field-goal conversion rate, at 44.8 percent-shot at nearly 57 percent the rest of the way as they came back from a 11
point deficit in the first half to pull off a 108-99 victory.
The Minnesota Timberwolves having lost nine of 11 and coming on the back of a 31-point thrashing by the Chicago Bulls entered the match, firing on all cylinders. After being held at 11-11 inside the first five minutes of play,
the Timberwolves finally broke free with a 14-6 run to finish the first quarter at 25-17.
Staring at an 8 point deficit in the second quarter, Monta Ellis marshaled the Warriors to a vociferous resurgence. The 6 ft 3” inch guard who went off color after a rollicking start to the season returned to his scoring way as
he pulled of a 19 point quarter.
It all started as Ellis made a layup in the first minute, spinning his way past the Timberwolves defense and also drew the foul. Ellis though wasn’t perfect from the floor, missing 5 of 12.
His cold shooting allowed the Timberwolves enough breathing space as they reeled of a 12-3 run midway through the period to gain an 11 point lead, their highest of the match.
The Warriors though sprung back into action as Dorell Wright joined the party to initiate a 20-6 surge capped by a Monta Ellis triple pointer that gave a 54-51 advantage to the Warriors, heading into the locker room.
Both the teams maintained parity as the match drifted into the second half. The lead changed hands six times in the first six minutes of the third quarter before Ellis and Williams combined to pull off a 7-2 run to hand the Warriors
a six point advantage, 4:34 left till the buzzer. The Timberwolves however, rallied back and made it a three point game, going into the final quarter.
The fourth frame marked the start of a venomous assault by Reggie Williams. He scored 8 consecutive points as the Warriors extended their advantage to 87-80 early in the period and never looked back thereafter.
Williams and Ellis again combined for 9-2 run midway through the final frame and the Warriors raced to a 103-90 lead to quash all hopes of a Minnesota comeback.
The Timberwolves played for pride as they outscored Golden State 9-5 in the final two minutes but the match had already been sealed as the Warriors won 108-99.
The Warriors started a third game in a row without their phenomenal guard Stephen Curry, but on Tuesday night they didn’t miss him, as Reggie Williams after a cold start, turned the heat on in the second half to score 22 of his
26 points. Monta Ellis chipped in with a game-high 34 points and 6 assists while Dorell Wright finished with 12 points. David Lee again struggled with his shooting but still managed to notch up a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Darko Milicic posted a career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota. Timberwolves shot well in the first half but struggled down the stretch, missing 15 of 22 shots from the floor as they slumped to 1-13 away record in
the season.
Michael Beasley scored 19 points wrapped with 7 boards while Kevin Love shot 6-for-18 for 13 points and also grabbed 14 rebounds. Corey Brewer and Martell Webster came off the bench to combine for 28 points but the Timberwolves
continued their slump in the season.
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