SAN FRANCISCO — Steph Curry must really like playing preseason games against the Timberwolves.

You could tell he had it going early on (he scored 17 points in the first quarter), but not many members of the Chase Center crowd saw this one coming. Curry erupted for 40 points in 25 minutes in the Warriors‘ 143-123 win over Minnesota on Thursday night, making 14 of his 19 field goal attempts and 6-of-9 from 3-point range amid the “oohs” and “aahs” from thousands of Bay Area fans taking in their first Warriors game of the season.

If it seems like a rare feat for a preseason game, it is. In fact, the last person to do what Steph Curry did against the Wolves on Thursday was … Steph Curry … against the Wolves.

“It looks like Steph is in midseason form right now,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game.

Kerr added that he’s likely going to sit Curry in one of the team’s three remaining preseason games, but would like to get him up to 30 minutes in at least one of them so that he can get ready for the team’s regular season debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 24.

Curry will obviously have to shoulder the brunt of the offensive load with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn and Klay Thompson out until at least the All-Star break. Judging by his exploits on Thursday night, he appears to be up to the challenge.