Warriors at Timberwolves
Time: 12:30 p.m. PT
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis
Coaches: Steve Kerr, 4th season with Warriors (258-54 with Warriors and overall); Tom Thibodeau, 2nd season with Timberwolves (69-80 with Timberwolves and 324-219 overall)
On air: TV on ABC; Radio on 95.7 The Game
Records: Warriors (51-14); Timberwolves (38-29)
Projected starters: Warriors: PG Quinn Cook (3.2 ppg, 1.1 apg), SG Klay Thompson (19.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg), SF Kevin Durant (26.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg), PF Draymond Green (11.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 7.4 apg), C JaVale McGee (4.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg)
Timberwolves: PG Jeff Teague (13.7 ppg, 6.9 apg), SG Andrew Wiggins (17.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg), SF Nemanja Bjelica (6.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg), PF Taj Gibson (12.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg), C Karl-Anthony Towns (20.3 ppg, 12.2 rpg).
Warriors injury report: PG Quinn Cook (right hand contusion) and SF Andre Iguodala (left wrist sprain) are questionable. PF Jordan Bell (right ankle sprain), PG Stephen Curry (tweaked right ankle), SG Patrick McCaw (non-displaced fracture, left wrist) and C David West (right arm cyst) are out.
Timberwolves injury report: SG Jimmy Butler (right knee surgery) is out.
Line: Warriors by 4.5 points
Things to watch:
>>> Can Golden State’s three available All-Stars get some support? Outside of Kevin Durant (40 points) and Klay Thompson (25 points), no Warrior scored more than 10 points in Friday night’s loss to the Trail Blazers. Without two of its leaders in Andre Iguodala and David West, Golden State’s bench only totaled 18 points, with Kevon Looney’s eight leading the way. Durant and Thompson are two of the best shooters in NBA history, sure, but they need role players to do their jobs to beat a playoff-caliber team on the road. With half of his regular rotation potentially sidelined Sunday, head coach Steve Kerr may try different, unique combinations to get this group back on track.
>>> Can the Warriors tighten up defensively? At the root of Golden State’s recent seven-game winning streak was renewed defensive intensity. By that measure, Friday’s loss to Portland was a significant regression. The Trail Blazers scored 125 points on 49.4 percent shooting, including 16-for-39 from three-point range. Their backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined for 58 points and nine made three-pointers. Now, Golden State faces a Timberwolves team that ranks second in the NBA in three-point attempts and shooting percentage. Minnesota may be without Jimmy Butler, but it still has plenty of firepower in Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
>>> Will Golden State’s depleted frontcourt hold up against Towns? With Butler sidelined, the Timberwolves offense flows through Towns, the former No. 1 draft pick who was a first-time All-Star this season. Towns, who led Minnesota with 31 points and 11 rebounds in its Jan. 25 loss to the Warriors, leads the NBA with 56 double-doubles. It is a daunting matchup for a Golden State frontcourt that is without West and Jordan Bell. Just to have enough bodies, the Warriors have recalled Damian Jones from the G League.
Quotable: “I really liked our fight and competitive spirit, but we have to be smarter. We did not play a smart and focused game tonight. It cost us.” — Steve Kerr after Friday night’s loss to Portland
Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] . Twitter: @Con_Chron