Golden State Gets Gritty Without Curry
The Timberwolves expected to kick off their second-round playoff series at home with fireworks. Instead, the Warriors threw a cold splash of reality with a 99-88 road win that flipped all expectations. The spotlight should have belonged to Stephen Curry. But about halfway through the second quarter, he limped off with what looked like a left hamstring issue and never came back. Suddenly, Golden State’s core identity was gone, but the Warriors refused to collapse.
Buddy Hield, who’s been on a tear since the opening round, scooped up Curry’s slack. Hield went nuts from deep—hitting 5 of 8 threes and finishing with 24 points. That quick release made Minnesota pay almost every time they dared him to shoot. Draymond Green used the moment to torch his usual label as a shooter. He dropped four threes in the first half alone, ending his night with 18 points and enough energy to get in everyone’s faces on defense and offense. For a team so tied to Curry’s creation, seeing them put together a wire-to-wire win was a huge statement.
After Curry checked out, Golden State’s rotations tightened and the pace slowed, but the ball zipped faster. Steve Kerr even trusted rookie Brandin Podziemski with big minutes, showing just how deep Golden State is willing to dig when things get weird in the playoffs.
Timberwolves Freeze Up in Front of Home Crowd
The home-court advantage meant nothing for Minnesota. The crowd was in it early, but by the end of the first quarter, nervousness filled the air. The Timberwolves missed their first 16 three-point shots—yes, sixteen in a row. That brutal cold streak pretty much set the tone, leaving Minnesota stuck behind while the Warriors found production everywhere but from the expected places.
Anthony Edwards played with his typical edge and effort, tossing together a double-double (23 points and 14 rebounds), but his 9-for-22 line showed just how tough Golden State made it on him. With each long miss, the Warriors' confidence grew. Naz Reid had a hot stretch off the bench for 19 points, and Julius Randle looked assertive early. But as Golden State’s zone defense clamped down, both struggled to find clean looks or easy buckets. Credit Steve Kerr for mixing up schemes and never giving the Wolves the same look twice.
The real shocker? Not a single home team has won a second-round playoff game so far in 2025. After dismantling the Lakers with energy in their home finale last round, the Timberwolves suddenly looked like the nervous guests instead of the hosts.
The biggest question now is Stephen Curry’s health. If his hamstring keeps him out for Game 2, the Warriors will again need players like Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis to keep up the momentum. The bench already flashed that they can handle the pressure—the two combined for 33 points on 14-for-17 shooting when asked to step up in Game 2. But if Minnesota can’t dig themselves out of their shooting funk, it might not matter who’s suiting up for Golden State.
For now, the Warriors leave Minneapolis holding home-court edge. The Wolves have 48 hours to fix their NBA Playoffs shot, or risk falling behind fast in a series that’s already off-script.
