MINNEAPOLIS — With Anthony Edwards out, Steph Curry left no doubt about the best basketball player on the floor Wednesday night inside Target Center.

The Warriors needed every bit of Curry’s season-best 44 points to put away the Timberwolves.

Even with Minnesota’s biggest star headed for knee surgery and Curry’s nuclear night, the Warriors still nearly suffered their second epic fourth-quarter collapse in just five games this season. After building a second-half lead as large as 24, Golden State hung on, 119-114.

It appeared that a game that began without Edwards could end with Curry sitting on the bench, comfortably resting after building a big lead. That’s not how it played out.

When Curry went to the bench late in the third quarter, the Timberwolves took advantage. 

The Warriors widened their lead as far as 78-54 midway through the third quarter. When Curry checked out at the 5:01 mark, Minnesota began to chip away. By the time the fourth quarter started, Golden State’s advantage had been cut to 12, 93-81.

Yaxel Lendeborg contributed 26 points but also committed seven of the Warriors’ 16 turnovers that allowed Minnesota to climb back into the game with Curry on the bench.

Lendeborg’s only trips to the foul line came in the final minutes as the Timberwolves fouled to get possession. Curry, on the other hand, got to the line 16 times, draining them all.

Brandon Williams was the only other Golden State player to reach double figures, with 11.

Jonathan Kuminga played a larger role than he did the last and only other time he squared off against the team that drafted him seventh overall in 2021 and traded him last February.

He finished with 20 as Minnesota struggled to find an identity playing its first game without Edwards. Four other Timberwolves finished in double figures, led by Jaden McDaniels and TJ Shannon with 19 apiece.