Stephen Curry overshadowed Andrew Wiggins' reunion with his former team, scoring a game-high 36 points Monday night as the Golden State Warriors thrashed the Minnesota Timberwolves 130-108 in San Francisco.
The game was billed as the first for Wiggins and D'Angelo Russell since they were dealt for one another last February. However, Russell, who was the Warriors' leader in 3-pointers last season, was given the night off because of a bruised thigh, relegated to watching Wiggins contribute 23 points to the Golden State win.
Minnesota hopes to have Russell back when the clubs meet again Wednesday night in San Francisco.
With the Wiggins-Russell intrigue eliminated, the night's focus turned to a head-to-head between two of the top picks in the 2009 draft, when the Timberwolves took Ricky Rubio fifth overall while Curry was available. Two picks later, Golden State snatched Curry, now a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and three-time league champion.
Starting in Russell's place, Rubio recorded a game-high 11 assists to go with six points.
The game also pitted the top picks of last year's draft, with No. 1 selection Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves and No. 2 pick James Wiseman of the Warriors playing on near-even terms. Edwards finished with 15 points, while Wiseman, demoted from the starting lineup Monday, had 13.
The Warriors never trailed while snapping a two-game losing streak. Curry hit two 3-pointers and Wiggins matched his six points in a 19-4 game-opening burst from which the Timberwolves never fully recovered.
Curry shot 11-for-21 overall and 7-for-12 on 3-point attempts en route to his fifth game this season with 35 or more points. The Warriors connected on 14 of their 30 3-point shots, outscoring the Timberwolves 42-24 from beyond the arc.
Wiggins complemented his 23 points with six rebounds, three steals and three blocks while Kelly Oubre Jr. had 14 points and Draymond Green scored 10.
Malik Beasley poured in a team-best 30 points for Minnesota, which was coming off a home win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Naz Reid recorded 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Jordan McLaughlin matched Edwards' 15 points, and Jarred Vanderbilt had 12.
