MINNEAPOLIS – The Warriors hit their low point of the season north of the border, but bounced back against the Timberwolves in the USA.

Golden State dominated the first quarter, building a 24-point lead behind a swarming defense and a barrage of 3-pointers.

In the NBA, no lead is safe, especially no Warriors lead. Minnesota battled back quarter after quarter, offensive rebound after offensive rebound, free throw after free throw, and tied the game at the end of the fourth quarter.

But Steph Curry stepped up down the stretch, hitting two 3-pointers in the final three minutes. Curry finished the season with 31 points and eight rebounds in a season-high 37 minutes.

Despite some late-game turnovers and foul drama, the Warriors were able to claim a 116-115 victory. Andrew Wiggins (24 points), Trayce Jackson-Davis (15 rebounds) and Buddy Hield (18 points) made important contributions. The Warriors lost every quarter after the first, but their early attack held just strong enough for them to return home to the Bay Area with a win.

The Warriors (20-20) overcame the loss of Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Kyle Anderson in the win. They won three of four games in the season series against Minnesota and finished their four-game road trip 2-2.

The competitive spirit that had been missing from Golden State has returned. The loss to Toronto, which put them under .500 for the first time this season, is in the past. The trade deadline talk about not making a dent in the future will remain in place over the next few weeks, but games like Wednesday were desperately necessary for whatever direction the franchise takes.

The tradition of the Target Center crowd is to stand until the Timberwolves’ first basket. The Warriors kept the arena on its feet for the first 4:27 minutes.

Golden State forced eight straight shots from the Wolves. They failed from outside, inside and everywhere in between as the Warriors scored the first 13 points of the game.

The first quarter was perhaps the most intense the Warriors have seen since their 12-3 start to the season. They pushed defensively, forced turnovers and increased the tempo accordingly. It helped that Curry made his first four 3-pointers, the last of which he saved for a 29-8 lead.

Just before that three-pointer, Curry hit Buddy Hield with a no-look pass for a three-pointer as two Timberwolves swarmed him at midfield.

Part of the Warriors’ hot start was thanks to Gui Santos, who made his first career start. Santos probably isn’t a long-term answer, but he brings the kind of energy and connectivity that the Warriors have often lacked this year.

Undersized without Green (illness), Anderson (hamstring) and Kuminga (ankle), Jackson-Davis rose to the challenge against Minnesota’s huge frontcourt. The second-year center grabbed six boards in the first quarter and completed an alley-oop dunk to give Golden State a 34-10 lead.

The Warriors played much better defensively than ever before, forcing as many turnovers (5) as they allowed field goals in the first quarter.

Golden State’s offense, which ranked in the bottom third of the league for nearly two months, took a step backwards. Things faltered with Curry on the bench in the second quarter, allowing Minnesota to go on a 9-0 run. With Curry’s return, Golden State rallied and went into halftime with a 55-42 lead.