3 things to know: James Wiseman and Kelly Oubre Jr. lead Warriors past T-Wolves, 123-111

Rookie James Wiseman tallied a career-high 25 points to help lead the Warriors to their second straight win over the Timberwolves.

Heading into a two-game stretch against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Golden State Warriors split their previous two “baseball series” on the 2020-21 season. However, the Warriors registered their first two-game sweep of the season after capping off a 123-111 victory over the T-Wolves on Wednesday at Chase Center. 

After stealing a two-point lead in the first quarter, the Warriors were able to steadily build an advantage throughout the game behind a collective effort from Steve Kerr’s rotation. With five different players scoring in double-figures, the Warriors shot 52.9% from the field along with netting 15 triples against Minnesota. 

Rookie James Wiseman led Golden State with a new career-high. The 2020 No. 2 overall pick tallied 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field with six boards and two blocks in 24 minutes off the bench. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field with nine boards, three assists, two steals and a block in 24 minutes. 

With a back-to-back on the horizon, the Warriors won’t have much time to celebrate their two-game winning streak. Golden State will head to Phoenix for the second leg of a back-to-back on Thursday. 

Kent Bazemore provides an early spark

With Steph Curry missing his first seven shots and Oubre Jr. quickly recording a pair of fouls, Kerr looked to his second unit for an early spark. Kent Bazemore made an immediate impact off the bench. 

The veteran guard scored seven points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field with three boards, a steal and a block in 10 first-quarter minutes. With Bazemore’s much-needed help, the Warriors were able to jump out to a two-point lead despite a slow start. 

Kelly Oubre Jr.’s second quarter

Following Bazemore’s effort in the opening 12 minutes, Oubre Jr. headlined the second quarter. Oubre Jr. notched a new quarter career-high with 16 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field against Minnesota. Along with his impressive scoring mark, Oubre Jr. stacked the boxscore before halftime. The 25-year-old registered three boards, three assists and two steals in the second quarter. 

After notching two early fouls, Oubre Jr. quickly bounced back for one of his best performances in a Golden State Warriors uniform.

Via @NBA on Twitter: 

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Anthony Edwards vs. James Wiseman

Highlighted by the battle between Wiseman and Anthony Edwards, the 2020 NBA draft class was on full display on Wednesday. While Wiseman led the Warriors with 25 points, Edwards recorded 25 points of his own on 9-of-19 shooting with four boards, three steals and two assists. 

During the third quarter, Wiseman added to his rookie highlight reel with a must-watch sequence. On the defensive end of the floor, Wiseman sent away Jake Layman with a powerful block. The Memphis product then ran the floor to cap off the fastbreak with an emphatic one-handed slam dunk. 

Via @NBCSWarriors on Twitter: 

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