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…

By Geoff Lepper
48minutes.net

OAKLAND — As her only son languished in professional purgatory, Michele Williams kept imparting messages of encouragement.

“They pay you all this money to be professional,” Warriors point guard Marcus Williams recalled his mother saying. “So even if you are frustrated, you really can’t be.”

Williams had reason to disregard Mom’s advice. When he was acquired from the New Jersey Nets in July, it looked like a perfect opportunity for the UConn product to shed the labels he’d earned for being a less-than-stellar defender and not-very-active worker

Instead, Williams performed so poorly during training camp that he not only stayed firmly planted behind incumbent C.J. Watson but also dropped behind rookie off-guard DeMarcus Nelson on the depth chart.

“You’ve just got to be professional,” Williams said. “You’ve got to take the good with the bad.”

Some good finally came Friday, when Williams was resurrected from the inactive list by coach Don Nelson. He made his Warriors debut in Golden State’s 109-104 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and finished with four assists in 10 minutes.

Nelson said before the game that Williams was being activated because he reached the appropriate levels in terms his contract’s weight clause — 10 percent body fat or 210 pounds.

But Williams isn’t sure that’s the whole story.

“I don’t think” it was all about the weight, Williams explained. “Coach said my work ethic was kind of bad.”

There was a simple way to change that view, which is why Williams started showing up an hour before practices and shootarounds for extra workouts with rookie guard Anthony Morrow under the supervision of Mark Grabow, the Warriors’ fitness guru, and staff member Rico Hines.

“It’s non-stop continuous running and getting shots up,” said Williams, who figured, “I’m not playing anyway, so I might as well get some extra work in, some game speed work in, just so when my name is called, I can step in and play and not be out of shape.”

Friday, Williams kept pace with his teammates. He had three assists during a 5 1/2-minute stint during the second quarter, the prettiest being a cross-court, 40-foot dish to Kelenna Azubuike for a layup as the Warriors attacked after a made Grizzlies basket.

Williams came on in the third quarter as part of a smallball lineup for Nelson — the first time Williams had played with that group, even including practices — which did not lead to great results at the defensive end. Memphis…

By Geoff Lepper
48minutes.net

OAKLAND — Warrior fans were treated to a tantalizing glimpse of the future Friday — at least until a couple of deficiencies dredged up from the past blotted out the landscape.

The sight of second-year player Brandan Wright and rookie Anthony Randolph holding down the power forward slot in the absence of veteran Al Harrington (sore back) was a welcome one to fans who want to see the team build around those two potential stars.

But a 55-41 rebounding deficit and 13 missed free throws — hallmarks of Warriors losses from throughout the 2000s — cost Golden State in a 109-104 loss to Memphis.

“That’s a game we could have won,” guard Kelenna Azubuike said. “We’ve just got to take care of the little things down the stretch. We’ve got to knock down free throws, play defense. You can’t win like that. It’s that simple.”

Fourteen offensive rebounds and 11 second-chance points in the first half served as a lifeline for the Grizzlies, who shot 37.5 percent from the floor but still were down just 50-48.

That half nevertheless featured the first significant playing time for Randolph, who made his NBA debut Monday in Memphis with a meaningless 87 seconds. He came on with 4:24 left in the first quarter in place of Wright. He missed his first shot, a 19-foot jumper, and was called on the next possession for a foul trying to push Hakim Warrick off the block.

“I was over excited,” Randolph said. “I’m not even sure how to describe it. It was more than excited. . . . I was probably having a little panic attack.”

Randolph calmed down enough to collect eight points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes. After struggling with his outside shot for much of the exhibition season, it was gratifying for Randolph to gather all four of his buckets between 17 and 21 feet from the basket.

“I thought he looked pretty good tonight,” Warriors coach Don Nelson said. “He had some nice moments, and he definitely has a presence to his game. . . . He got some consistent minutes and made his presence felt a little bit.”

Wright, making the first of what’s expected to be many starts as the Warriors hand him the keys at power forward, finished with only six points, two rebounds and one chipped tooth in 21 minutes.

Nevertheless, the framework was laid in place for a Wright/Randolph partnership.

“I think once me…