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MINNEAPOLIS – With Steph Curry out for at least the next week due to a strained left hamstring, the Timberwolves may find themselves in an advantageous position against the Golden State Warriors.
Or perhaps the opposite is true.
It might seem that facing a playoff contender missing its top player just 13 minutes into the series should be a ticket to progressing to the next round in the NBA. Golden State has built its identity around Curry for over ten years, leveraging arguably the greatest shooter in the league’s history to secure four championships in the last seven seasons.
The sharpshooting wizard, an 11-time All-Star, remains a formidable scorer and a challenging matchup at 37 years old, but now he is unavailable for at least three games in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals.
Curry exited the court at Target Center with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter of Tuesday’s opener, visibly favoring his left hamstring. An MRI on Wednesday confirmed a Grade 1 strain, and the team announced he will be reevaluated in a week.
Given the tighter scheduling of games in the conference semifinals compared to the first round, a week could feel like an eternity for Golden State. Following Game 2 on Thursday (8:30 ET, TNT), the series moves to San Francisco for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday.
Should Game 5 occur back in Minnesota on Wednesday, May 13—eight days after Curry’s injury—if his recovery does not progress as hoped, his return could fall into the “if necessary” category for potential Games 6 and/or 7.
There’s a telling reason why Warriors coach Steve Kerr simply embraced Curry when he reached him at halftime following the veteran’s unexpected exit; later, he described Curry’s mood as “crushed.”
“It’s tough,” teammate Jimmy Butler remarked. “One of the legends of the game wants to be out there. Both he and we understand how much smoother the game runs for us when he’s playing at a high level.”
Consequently, Golden State will have to navigate the upcoming games under challenging circumstances. Meanwhile, Minnesota should be wary and not assume they will have an easier time just because Curry is absent.
“I know when we face teams that are missing their star player, we sometimes struggle,” wing Jaden McDaniels commented. “So we need to treat Buddy [Hield] like Steph and prevent him from having a game like he did last time [24 points] … we need to shut him down.”
Disregard the reactions from Las Vegas bookmakers, who intensified the Timberwolves’ status as favorites following the injury news. Typically, a team that loses the opening game—especially at home—doesn’t see their odds improve. This illustrates just how crucial Curry is to the Warriors’ success.
The last significant injury setback for the all-time leading 3-point shooter occurred in October 2019 when he fractured his hand, appearing in only five games that season. Golden State finished with a 15-50 record.
However, in a more recent although smaller sample, the Warriors posted a 7-5 record during the games Curry missed this season.
Historically, Golden State has achieved a 104-51 record with Curry in the lineup since 2013. In the postseason games he has missed, the team stands at 9-3.
“Every playoff year is about making adjustments, be it through game plans or overcoming injuries,” Kerr stated on Wednesday. “We’ve faced this before.”
“It’s really up to us to adapt and figure things out.”
The Warriors demonstrated this adaptability in Game 1. They were leading 30-20 when Curry left the game and then managed to outscore the Timberwolves 69-68 for the remainder of the match.
“He scored 13 points in 13 minutes,” said Minnesota guard Donte DiVincenzo. “Then they dominated us for the rest of the night.”
The following day, after reviewing the game footage, Wolves players and coaches expressed dissatisfaction with their collective performance and intended to bring a more intense and aggressive effort in Game 2, regardless of Curry’s presence. Don’t expect Anthony Edwards to have another dismal first half like he did last time.
“We lost the possession battle, and that had nothing to do with whether Steph was on the floor or not,” remarked coach Chris Finch. “The same goes for our transition play… There are many areas where we need to enhance our performance.”
DiVincenzo noted, “The aspects we can improve upon are quite manageable.”
Both Kerr and Finch shared video evidence with the league and voiced their concerns to reporters about what they perceived as overly aggressive play. This seemed like strategy: Minnesota understands that the Warriors will need to slow the game’s tempo and create a mess, similar to their strategy in the second half on Tuesday, to win in the upcoming matches. Meanwhile, Golden State seeks to have the officials concentrate on the home team while they clog the lane to counter Edwards’ drives and maintain their defensive assertiveness.
“We believe we have the best defense in the league,” Kerr stated. “That’s been validated over recent months based on defensive efficiency and our confidence in Draymond [Green] at the back and Jimmy. We need to create offensive opportunities through our defense and find new ways to attack without Steph.”
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Steve Aschburner has covered the NBA since 1980. You can email him here, find his archive here, and follow him on X.
The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA, its teams, or Warner Bros. Discovery.
