By Geoff Lepper
48minutes.net

The Warriors zoned. The Timberwolves just zoned out.

Thanks to a 9-0 run at the end of regulation — fueled by a 2-3 zone that took Minnesota star Al Jefferson completely out of the game — Golden State managed to come back Tuesday for a 113-110 victory.

After surging ahead by double-digits in the second half behind a frontline featuring three of the players expected to carry them into the next decade — 22-year-old Andris Biedrins, 21-year-old Brandan Wright and 19-year-old Anthony Randolph — the Warriors squandered that lead and then some in allowing the one-win Timberwolves to take command in the fourth quarter.

But with Minnesota holding a nine-point lead and less than four minutes remaining, Golden State clamped down with a zone that was designed to keep Jefferson in check.

Jefferson never even touched the ball. The Timberwolves missed their last eight shots. And perhaps most importantly, Minnesota — which had 20 offensive rebounds on the evening — only got one during the final 4:30, and that was on an ineffectual tip from Craig Smith with 30 seconds left.

Wright finally secured that rebound, fed the ball to C.J. Watson, who zipped a cross court lead pass to Stephen Jackson, who tallied the game-tying layup with 22.2 seconds left, part of his season-high 30 points.

“It was kind of hard for Jefferson to get the ball and make plays when we collapsed on him in the zone,” Jackson said. “We got rebounds, got out and ran, so I think the zone was very successful tonight.”

** This was the first time all season that the Biedrins-Wright-Randolph trio was on the floor together. The unit had stints in each of the first three quarters. The first was a move made out of desperation; Randolph came on in place of an ineffective Watson and Jackson took over at the point.

But the last one was a deliberate choice on the part of coach Don Nelson, who sent them out to start the third quarter together. That group helped Golden State reel off a 9-4 run to build an 11-point lead 3 minutes into the half.

“There are so many young guys on the floor, but it’s kind of fun because everybody is playing with such energy,” Biedrins said. “Everybody is running, defending, blocking shots.”

The Warriors were able to make the big and young lineup work because the Timberwolves weren’t equipped with the kind of point guard who…