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No player offers a better gauge of the Warriors' performance than Klay Thompson. When his teammates are spread across the floor, powering through screens and making the extra pass, he tends to be at his catch-and-shoot best.
So perhaps it was little surprise that, when Golden State finally settled into the fourth quarter of its 116-99 win Friday night over Minnesota at Oracle Arena, Thompson was leading the onslaught. Over those final 12 minutes, he's in his 22 points as the Warriors pulled away from the Timberwolves.
"When Klay's going, and we've got KD and Steph going, we're pretty hard to beat," forward Kevon Looney said. "We space the floor so much, and you've got to pick your poison. You help off KD and Steph, then Klay's going to be wide open. "
Down 87-83 at the end of the third quarter, Golden State blitzed Minnesota 33-12 in the fourth for its seventh straight victory. The Timberwolves missed 18 of their 23 shots as they went on their turnovers – not a horrendous number, but they had only one through the first three periods.
The Warriors overcame an assault and dominating Minnesota on the glass, 61-39. It was not aesthetically pleasing at times, but Golden State made one thing certain: It can out-tough opponents, too.
And that is a scary concept for the rest of the NBA. Less than three weeks into the season, the Warriors sit atop the Western Conference at 9-1. Thompson, Stephen Curry (28 points, nine rebounds, seven assists), Kevin Durant (33 points, 13 rebounds) and Draymond Green (nine points, 11 assists) are working on each other.
It also does not hurt that Jonas Jerebko (seven points) and Alfonzo McKinnie (eight points, eight rebounds). With Achilles tendon, the Warriors look the part of prohibitive championship favorites.
"Our fourth-quarter defense was tremendous," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said. "Everybody flying to the ball. I thought Draymond set the tone. I'm sure I've seen Draymond play better since I've been here. "
In important ways, the Warriors and Timberwolves have been teaching in contrasts this season. Golden State is a basketball utopia of sorts, and Minnesota is the league's most compelling soap opera. Jimmy Butler wants to leave the team.
During the preseason, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, Butler interrupted a practice, trash-talking everyone from the owner to the head coach to the general manager to teammates. That Minnesota managed to arrive at Oracle Arena with a .500 record was a testament to its talent.
But regardless of what teams are dealing with behind closed doors, they tend to deliver performances against the Warriors. Off-the-court drama becomes obsolete when faced with the challenge of playing back-to-back NBA champions, especially in Oakland.
Through three quarters Friday, Minnesota did a good job as any team this season throwing Golden State off. The timberwolves switched off screens, got hands on shooters and, astoundingly, committed to a single turnover in those first 36 minutes.
By the start of the fourth, Minnesota was up against the Warriors. The problem for the Timberwolves is that it can usually be overcome by a talent deficit.
Within an 83-second span early in the fourth, Thompson followed an 18-foot jumper with two-pointers to give Golden State back the lead. Minnesota had no answer. With little resistance from the Timberwolves, the Warriors did what they do best: spread the floor, make the extra pass, and convert open looks.
By the time Curry made a driving layup with 44.3 seconds left to push Golden State's lead to 17, much of the Oracle Arena had emptied out.
Fans had seen this script before: The Warriors are the rare team that needs a quarter to blow a great opponent.
Asked postgame Friday, he said in the fourth quarter, said Thompson, "I feel great at all times because we get to play basketball for a living. … It's been a great start to our first 10 games. "
Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Con_Chron
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