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MINNEAPOLIS (AP)— The Golden State Warriors are set to compete in their second-round series against Minnesota without Stephen Curry for at least the next three games, following an MRI on Wednesday that confirmed he has a mild strain in his left hamstring.
According to the Warriors, Curry will be out for a minimum of a week after the injury he sustained on Tuesday night forced him to leave early in the second quarter of Game 1, which they ultimately won 99-88. In just 13 minutes on the court, Curry contributed 13 points, helping Golden State establish a substantial lead and seize home-court advantage from the Timberwolves.
Game 2 is scheduled to take place in Minneapolis on Thursday, before the series shifts to San Francisco for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday. If Curry is able to return, the earliest he could make his comeback would be Game 5 on May 14, coinciding with three days of rest leading up to Game 6 on May 18.
In previous playoffs, Curry has missed several games due to injuries in both 2016 and 2018, periods during which the Warriors navigated their way to the NBA Finals. They fell to Cleveland in a seven-game series for the 2016 championship but bounced back to sweep the Cavaliers in 2018, claiming their third title in four years.
However, this current Golden State squad does not quite compare to those earlier teams, as Curry and Draymond Green were much younger, and other key players like Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala played pivotal roles in their triumphs. In 2018, they also had the addition of Kevin Durant.
At present, the Warriors are optimistic about the collective effort displayed in Game 1, which saw contributions from Jimmy Butler, Buddy Hield, and Green, with coach Steve Kerr utilizing 12 different players during the match.
