Draymond Green Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Warriors blow another game with last-minute turnovers

The Warriors can't defend their title if they can't protect the ball at the end of games.

Minnesota stole a victory against Golden State Sunday when Kyle Anderson stole the ball from Draymond Green in the final seconds and hit Karl-Anthony Towns for a go-ahead three.

It was Anderson's fourth steal in the final 12:30 of the game, but repeated a frustrating pattern of last-second turnovers in close games for the Warriors this season.

The Warriors had another chance on their next possession, but Jordan Poole went out of bounds with the ball.

Poole is a big culprit in the team's last-minute struggles. He's third in the league in total turnovers despite being 29th in usage rate. And some of his late-game miscues have been baffling.

The easy solution would be to put Poole on the bench during crunch time, but with Andrew Wiggins out indefinitely , the Warriors might not have a better option. Perhaps they need to simply their offense late, though Coach Steve Kerr usually resists going to the tried-and-true Steph Curry pick-and-roll.

Whatever it is, the Warriors need to start playing like the veteran team they are late, or they're going to fumble away their title defense.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Celtics dominate short-handed Cavaliers in blowout Game 1 win
Rangers special teams, goaltending help them take control against Hurricanes
Knicks share brutal injury news on Mitchell Robinson
Titans put Treylon Burks on notice with latest free-agent addition
Rudy Gobert's Defensive Player of the Year award redeems reputation of darkness retreats
LIV Golf scores major win ahead of PGA Championship
Astros GM makes revealing comments about team's trade-deadline strategy amid poor start
Watch: Overtime goal completes Avalanche's comeback in 4-3 win over Stars
Thunder’s three-point barrage takes down Mavericks in Game 1
Legendary Broncos DC Joe Collier dead at 91
Watch: Phillies' Bryce Harper stays hot with another grand slam
Cardinals' Willson Contreras suffers broken arm after being hit by swing
Nuggets star gets fined, but avoids suspension for ugly Game 2 actions
PSG superstar to potentially depart club with zero UEFA Champions League trophies
NFL has a reported date for the 2024 schedule release
Lions sign veteran defensive tackle
Sharks win 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, get No. 1 pick for first time
John Calipari recruiting another top player from Kentucky
Giants designate right-hander for assignment
Former All-Star shares concerns of potential Knicks burnout