SAN FRANCISCO – The current-day Golden State Warriors emulated their “We Believe” predecessors in at the least one respect throughout Sport 3 of their Western Convention semifinal playoff sequence in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night time.
For the primary time since Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson wore the uniform, the Warriors didn’t make a 3-pointer in a single half of a playoff recreation.
The Warriors rediscovered their perimeter-shooting identification within the third quarter, making 6 of 11 from past the arc. However they couldn’t overcome an general chilly capturing night time, a handful of their miscues, and Steph Curry’s absence in a 102-97 loss to the Timberwolves.
After going 0-for-7 on 3-point makes an attempt within the first half, the Warriors discovered extra of a rhythm within the third quarter. However for the sport, Golden State was 10-for-23 on 3-point makes an attempt, and shot 43.2% (35 of 81) as they fell behind two video games to at least one within the best-of-seven sequence.
The Warriors additionally allowed 16 factors off of turnovers and have been out-rebounded 44-36.
The final time the Warriors didn’t make a 3-pointer by way of a whole half of a postseason recreation was April 25, 2007. That day, Golden State didn’t make a shot from past the arc within the second half of their opening-round sequence in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks and misplaced 112-99 in Sport 2. The Warriors would go on to upset the top-seeded Mavericks in six video games.
In Sport 3 in opposition to the Timberwolves, the Warriors led 42-40 on the half and hit two three-pointers within the first 2:50 of the third quarter. One got here from Buddy Hield simply 35 seconds after halftime, and Brandin Podziemski made a 25-footer to chop a four-point Minnesota result in 49-48 with 9:10 to go within the quarter.
The Warriors truly made 5 of their first eight 3-point makes an attempt within the third quarter, with Jimmy Butler making one with 2:04 left to offer Golden State a 67-62 lead.
That’s about nearly as good because it acquired for Golden State, which misplaced the lead halfway by way of the fourth quarter and by no means recovered.
Anthony Edwards made 5 3-pointers and completed with a game-high 36 factors to place the Timberwolves within the driver’s seat with Sport 4 on Monday.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr knew his group’s offense could be wildly totally different with out Curry, who has a Grade 1 pressure in his left hamstring and won’t play till later subsequent week on the earliest.
Of the Warriors’ 1,264 three-pointers this season, 311 have been made by Curry.
“You can’t suddenly install a new offense in one day,” Kerr stated. “However we clearly will lean into Jimmy (Butler), play by way of him. We’re nonetheless going to run comparable actions, however Steph is one in every of one, and a variety of the stuff he creates isn’t replicable, as a result of we don’t name a ton of performs.
“We run pick and roll with Steph. He comes off, gives it up, and starts flying around. There’s no call for that, it’s a concept more than anything. So it’s not really about play calls. It’s about playing with pace and energy, playing through Jimmy, having the correct spacing, and then getting stops. We have to win this game with our defense.”
Initially Revealed: Could 10, 2025 at 8:28 PM PDT
