The Golden State Warriors opened the Western Conference Semifinals with a gritty 99-88 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, seizing a 1-0 series lead despite a major early setback. Stephen Curry, the heart and soul of the franchise, exited in the second quarter with a left hamstring strain and was already icing his leg in the locker room by the time his teammates returned at halftime with a comfortable lead.
With their superstar sidelined, the Warriors didn’t flinch — instead, they dug deep, found contributions across the board, and reminded everyone why they remain a force in the postseason.
Buddy Hield and Draymond Green came up huge from beyond the arc, while Jimmy Butler turned in a vintage all-around performance, carrying Golden State through adversity. Hield, fresh off a strong Game 7 showing in Houston, poured in 24 points on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. Green, known more for his defense and playmaking than his scoring, nailed four first-half threes and finished with 18 points.
Butler, ever the playoff warrior, added 20 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, providing the leadership and poise the team needed after Curry’s early departure.
“The Warriors sure made the best of a bad situation,” said head coach Steve Kerr, who leaned on a zone defense that stifled a Timberwolves team coming off a lights-out shooting performance in the previous round.
The Wolves, who hit 7-of-47 threes in their Game 5 win over the Lakers, were somehow even colder after nearly a week off. Minnesota missed its first 16 attempts from long range and didn’t connect until Naz Reid broke the drought midway through the third quarter. By then, the Warriors had built a 20-point lead.
Anthony Edwards led the Wolves with 23 points and 14 rebounds, but he shot just 9-of-22. Reid added 19 points and Julius Randle had 16, but the Timberwolves finished a dismal 5-of-29 from three and never seriously threatened after trailing by 23 late in the third.
The win continued an unusual trend — no home team has won yet in the second round of these playoffs.
As attention turns to Game 2 on Thursday night, all eyes will be on the status of Stephen Curry. The four-time NBA champion and league’s all-time leader in 3-pointers pulled up after a 14-foot jumper in the second quarter and immediately grabbed his left hamstring. The Warriors ruled him out shortly afterward.
Golden State’s depth and resilience carried the night, using 12 players and stifling defense to weather the storm. But the question lingers: Can they keep it up without Curry — and for how long?
Game 2 is in Minneapolis, and the Timberwolves now face the pressure of holding serve at home before the series shifts to the Bay Area.
