MINNEAPOLIS -- The Golden State Warriors came back against the Minnesota Timberwolves, outlasting the fresher team 116-108. On Sunday, the Warriors ambled into the Target Center on "Schedule Alert." In the six NBA games so far played under "red alert," as classified by NBA sleep consultant Cheri Mah, the tired team lost all six. Warriors vs. Wolves was to be the seventh.

Golden State was on its fourth game in five nights and an early start off a back-to-back to boot.

"The schedule catches up to you often in this league," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said to praise his team's avoidance of even the most minor losing streaks. "And it's kind of catching up to us right now. This was our fourth in five nights." Kerr continued, "It's a lot of travel. We didn't have great energy tonight but you could see the resilience in the fourth quarter and the way our guys really came up with four or five straight stops to start the quarter, which was huge."

More on that later.

It was expected that the superior team would rebound from a ghastly night in Memphis, but this was likely a ragged unit. Still, the ever-talented Wolves came in with only six wins this season, having demonstrated a propensity for falling apart in second halves. What would give: Golden State's legs or Minnesota's late-game discipline?

If Golden State was fatigued, Minnesota wunderkind Karl-Anthony Towns (25 points, 18 rebounds) sought to worsen the experience. Kevon Looney, a 20-year-old big man whose skill is better than his conditioning, was tasked with the start and defensive matchup. In half a quarter, Towns helped draw a combined five fouls on Golden State's centers (a quick pair on Looney followed by a quick three on JaVale McGee). Having softened the Warriors' middle, the Wolves greedily continued to blast Golden State on the boards.

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The Warriors compensated with a hot stretch of deep shooting from Draymond Green, who has shown an affinity and facility for the top-of-circle Rasheed Wallace 3-pointer. At one point in the game, Green (18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) had gone 5-of-6 from deep.

On his propensity for the top of circle three, Green explained, "That's where I've kind of gotten most of my shots at. Usually when you get most of your shots in a certain spot, you tend to work on that area a little more. When you look at the NBA, a lot of 4s try to specialize in corner 3s. I don't get many shots in the corner so I don't really focus much on the corner three. I like to focus on the wings and top of the key area."

On this road trip, Green has shot 12 of 20 on 3-pointers, all 12 makes coming from above the break.

The Wolves, who have had third-quarter struggles, made their push in that stanza and seized a double-digit lead. Although Klay Thompson was on point and Stephen Curry was fine, the Warriors were without Kevin Durant's usually hyper-efficient game (6-of-21 for 22 points). Did the Warriors have enough left? Would the Wolves continue to overwhelm with youthful energy?

Ultimately, Golden State's wily veterans helped turn this game. In the fourth quarter, David West filled in beautifully at center, flanked by Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Thompson and Durant. The Warriors got decisive separation with a 25-4 run that featured cohesive defense that became quick offense.

Two plays epitomized the victory of old-hat guile over youthful bounce. At the 9:06 mark in the fourth, Iguodala stripped Zach LaVine, then forced a jump ball on the athletic phenom. At the 7:18 mark, West timed up and swatted an Andrew Wiggins jumper. From there, Durant forced a turnover with a strip on Wiggins that became a Thompson triple. Then Golden State forced a 24-second violation, followed by a play on which West not only poked away a steal from Ricky Rubio but also received a dunk off the outlet pass. West shouted with joy as Kerr beamed a smile during the timeout the Warriors had forced.

"It's just our switching flexibility," West said in explaining his two big stops. "Felt like we were letting guys come off screens a little bit too easy. They were comfortable. So I just jumped Wiggins one time and forced him to take a long contested two. And then Rubio's got kind of a high dribble when he gets by you, so I just saw an opportunity to poke it loose."

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West is far from a traditional center, though he plays one on TV (and in Golden State’s second unit). He was, after all, a power forward by trade. It's easy to dismiss West's defensive qualities because he's not a classic 5, manning the middle and swatting shots. But he brings a different defensive skillset, one that fits in nicely on the long, mobile, switch-heavy Warriors.

When asked if he feels like a "5" yet while playing center, West said, "No. I think that's part of [the lineup’s success]. I can sort of get out on the floor."

On Sunday night, West "sort of" got out on the floor and blocked an incredibly spry small forward's jump shot. Not bad for a 36-year-old center.

It was a collective effort, though, as Golden State submitted one of their best defensive stretches of this young season. In a span of little over three minutes, the Warriors outscored the Wolves 15-0, fueled by six straight stops. In a broader span of roughly five minutes, the Warriors had gone from trailing by 10 to leading by 11 -- a lead they would hold.

Golden State has its occasional lapses, like Saturday's Memphis debacle, but Sunday night offered an illustration of the difference between the young Wolves and the Warriors' weathered second unit. Youth can triumph over the NBA's physical demands, but so can craft, so can know-how. The latter qualities helped Golden State beat the schedule gods. As Minnesota faltered, Golden State kept their heads so as to overcome fresher legs.