Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) walks throughout the court docket in the course of the first half of Recreation 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff sequence towards the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Could 6, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photograph/Abbie Parr)
MINNEAPOLIS — The Golden State Warriors are planning to play with out Stephen Curry for a minimum of the subsequent three video games of their NBA second-round sequence towards Minnesota, after an MRI examination on Wednesday confirmed a gentle pressure of the star guard’s left hamstring.
READ: NBA: Steph Curry harm places remainder of sequence vs Wolves in query
The Warriors mentioned Curry can be sidelined a minimum of every week after the harm on Tuesday evening pressured him out early within the second quarter of Recreation 1, which they went on to win 99-88. He had 13 factors in 13 minutes to assist Golden State construct a snug lead and take home-court benefit away from the Timberwolves.
“Yearly the playoffs are about adapting, whether or not it’s a sport plan or an harm or a lineup, so we simply need to adapt,” coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “We’ve carried out this earlier than, and we’re assured we are able to do that once more.”
Recreation 2 is in Minneapolis on Thursday, earlier than the sequence strikes west to San Francisco for Recreation 3 on Saturday and Recreation 4 on Monday. The earliest return for Curry seems to be Recreation 5 on Could 14, which is conveniently adopted by three straight off days earlier than Recreation 6 on Could 18.
READ: NBA: Warriors take Recreation 1 from chilly Wolves regardless of Steph Curry harm
Curry has by no means had a big hamstring harm in his profession, creating but extra thriller across the size of this absence and whether or not the Warriors can tread water lengthy sufficient with out the all-time main 3-point shooter in NBA historical past to get him again close to the top of the sequence. They’d be unwise to financial institution on that, although.
“We expect we now have the perfect protection within the league, and that’s been confirmed during the last couple of months,” Kerr mentioned.
Curry missed a number of video games due to accidents in the course of the 2016 and 2018 playoffs, absences the Warriors adeptly endured on their option to the NBA Finals in each eventualities. They misplaced to Cleveland in seven video games for the 2016 championship, they usually swept the Cavaliers in 2018 for a 3rd title in 4 years. With out Curry throughout these two postseason runs, they went 9-3.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30), left, gestures after making a 3-point shot as Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, proper, reacts in the course of the first half of Recreation 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff sequence, Tuesday, Could 6, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photograph/Abbie Parr)
This Golden State roster hardly stacks as much as these predecessors, nevertheless, when Curry and Draymond Inexperienced have been a lot youthful and different standouts like Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala have been integral to their success. By 2018, that they had Kevin Durant, too.
For now, the Warriors have been feeling good in regards to the all-hands-on-deck effort led by Jimmy Butler, Buddy Hield and Inexperienced in Recreation 1, during which Kerr used 12 totally different gamers.
With out Curry, the ball will undergo Butler on most possessions, because it did on Tuesday. The six-time All-Star, whose acquisition in a commerce with Miami three months in the past helped spark and solidify the Warriors on each offense and protection, had 20 factors, 11 rebounds and eight assists in Recreation 1. He scored 20 or extra factors in 4 of the 5 full video games he performed within the first spherical towards Houston.
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“All people is dwell. All people who comes into the sport is trying to make performs,” Timberwolves guard Mike Conley mentioned. “So it’s a must to be nearly much more so locked in on the sport and who you’re matched up with and the tendencies. As a result of they’re not on the lookout for simply Curry. Clearly, Buddy goes to be extra aggressive, Jimmy goes to be extra aggressive, however they’ve received guys who can put the ball within the gap, they usually could attempt to do this collectively as a gaggle.”
