Stephen Curry scored 44 points as the Golden State Warriors held on for a 119-114 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night in Minneapolis. Curry shot 11 of 27 from the field, including six three-pointers, and was a perfect 16 of 16 from the free-throw line, adding eight rebounds and six assists.

A 24-point lead, then a test of nerve

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg added 26 points for Golden State, which has now won two straight after opening the season 0-3. Jonathan Kuminga scored 20 points against his former team to lead Minnesota, which has dropped two in a row after a 3-0 start. Jaden McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. each finished with 19 points, and Ayo Dosunmu contributed 17.

A milestone, kept in proportion

Golden State led 64-48 at half-time and stretched the advantage to 78-54 midway through the third quarter, before Minnesota closed the third on a 27-15 run to trail 93-81. The Timberwolves outscored the Warriors 66-55 in the second half, and a late bank shot from Bones Hyland cut the deficit to three in the final seconds, before Curry sealed the win with two free throws.

Minnesota played its first game without top scorer Anthony Edwards, expected to miss about two months after a procedure on his right knee. Curry's 44 was his first 40-point game of the season, and his 15th 40-point game since turning 35, tying LeBron James for the most in NBA history at that age. It is a longevity record, earned the hard way: after starting 2 of 8, Curry scored 19 points in the second quarter to build the lead his team then defended.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area, Deadspin / AP.