The Golden State Warriors vs Timberwolves preview centers on two teams playing without key stars, as Golden State visits Minnesota on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at Target Center in Minneapolis. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on NBA League Pass. The Warriors enter at 1-3 while the Timberwolves sit at 3-1, but both clubs are missing significant pieces, making this an early-season measuring stick for depth as much as talent.
Golden State is coming off a 134-114 road win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, a result that snapped a three-game skid. Minnesota, meanwhile, dropped a 127-125 overtime decision at Cleveland on Monday, its second loss in five games after a three-game win streak earlier this month.
Warriors Vs Timberwolves Game Information
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 28
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
- TV/Streaming: NBA League Pass
- Series: First meeting of the 2026-27 season
Warriors Outlook
Golden State has alternated wins and losses all season, going 1-3 with a point differential swing visible in its last five games, from a 128-118 win over Portland to losses at the Lakers (127-105), to Memphis (111-108) and at Phoenix (131-122) before Tuesday’s bounce-back in Denver. Stephen Curry leads the team at 23.7 points per game, but Golden State is already without three rotation pieces. Jimmy Butler III (right knee surgery) and Moses Moody (left knee surgery) are both out, and center Kristaps Porzingis remains out with an illness, a situation detailed in the team’s indefinite status update on Porzingis.
Forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who is averaging a team-best 21.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game and scored 31 points in the Nuggets win, is listed as day-to-day with a foot injury and has a return date of Oct. 28 in the official injury report, meaning his status for Wednesday is a projection rather than a confirmation. The Warriors are shooting 82.6% from the free-throw line as a team, well above Minnesota’s 60.7% mark, a gap that could matter in a close fourth quarter. Golden State is also being outrebounded defensively by a wide margin, 37.8 to 25.3 per game, an issue it will need to address against Minnesota’s frontcourt.
Timberwolves Outlook
Minnesota sits second in the Northwest Division at 3-1, one game behind unbeaten Oklahoma City, after a stretch that included wins over Miami (131-106), Orlando (115-93) and Toronto (117-94) sandwiched around Monday’s overtime loss at Cleveland. The Timberwolves are without leading scorer Anthony Edwards, who is out following right knee surgery with a return date listed as Dec. 21, and guard Donte DiVincenzo remains out after right Achilles surgery with a return date of April 2, 2027. With Edwards sidelined, Jaden McDaniels has stepped into the scoring lead at 15.0 points per game to go with 6.5 rebounds, while Rudy Gobert anchors the interior at 14.2 rebounds per game and LaMelo Ball runs the offense at 6.2 assists per game. Minnesota is averaging 122.0 points per game as a team, the highest mark between the two sides, and its 53.9% mark on two-point attempts reflects an offense built around getting to the rim and finding Gobert inside.
Key Matchup
Minnesota’s defensive rebounding advantage, 37.8 per game compared to Golden State’s 25.3, sets up as the deciding factor Wednesday. Gobert’s 14.2 rebounds per game give the Timberwolves a clear edge on the glass, and if Minnesota controls second-chance opportunities, it can limit the number of possessions for a Warriors offense already missing multiple frontcourt options in Butler and Porzingis. Golden State’s counter is its ball pressure, with the Warriors averaging 10.3 steals per game against Minnesota’s 8.8, a split that could force the kind of live-ball turnovers that fuel transition offense when half-court rebounding battles are lost.
What To Watch
Both teams are trying to establish an early-season identity while absorbing significant injuries. Golden State has alternated wins and losses in each of its first four games and is looking for its first consecutive victories of the season. Minnesota is trying to stay within range of Oklahoma City atop the Northwest Division standings, currently trailing by one game, while managing without Edwards and DiVincenzo for an extended stretch. Lendeborg’s health status heading into Wednesday will be worth tracking given his role as Golden State’s leading scorer and rebounder this season.
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