MINNEAPOLIS – The Warriors ran the identical units they at all times did throughout Thursday’s matchup with Minnesota, the second sport of the groups’ convention semifinal collection.
There have been break up cuts, shooters working round screens and loads of movement general.
The performs regarded the identical, however with out Steph Curry, who’s out with a hamstring harm, greasing the wheels with all-time nice shotmaking, the Warriors’ offense sputtered. In the meantime, the protection was unable to face up to Minnesota’s potent capturing in a 117-93 blowout at Goal Heart.
“Everybody knows its difficult to recreate or get close to what he does, but we’re gonna have to find a way,” Jimmy Butler mentioned.
Curry was sitting subsequent to the coaches in a black and pink hoodie because of the harm that can preserve him sidelined till no less than Sport 5.
Even with the franchise’s biggest participant sitting in road garments subsequent to the coaches, the Warriors stayed within the sport for two-and-a-half quarters earlier than working out of steam.
With the star sidelined, a mishmash of function gamers needed to play huge minutes subsequent to Jimmy Butler, who had 17 factors. Jonathan Kuminga scored 18 and confirmed a capability to make use of his latent athleticism to create his personal shot off the bounce. Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 23 factors, and Anthony Edwards put in 20.
In all, 14 completely different Warriors performed as Kerr experimented with lineups.
“Part of the gameplan was to play a lot of people,” Kerr mentioned. “Part of the reasoning is the fatigue of the run we’ve been on with the travel and the games, but part of it is we have to figure out what we’re gonna be able to do in this series without Steph.”
After taking place 56-39 at halftime, the Warriors started the third quarter on a 19-6 run, with Buddy Hield and Kuminga every burying 3-pointers to chop the Minnesota result in simply seven with round six minutes to go.
However after seeing their lead trimmed to 65-58, the Wolves responded with an 11-0 run that put Minnesota again in management. Minnesota led 85-65 on the finish of the third quarter and salted the sport away from there.
Issues couldn’t have began worse for Golden State.
After going 0-for-15 from 3-point land to start out Sport 1, Minnesota made its first two triples on makes by Jaden McDaniels and Mike Conley because the Wolves jumped out to a 13-0 lead. The Wolves completed the sport 16 for 37 from lengthy vary.
Butler scoring 5 factors was about all that went nicely for the Warriors within the first quarter, which noticed the Wolves lead 29-15 after the Warriors had extra turnovers (5) than assists (4) and solely six made area targets.
The second quarter was not significantly better, even when the Wolves appeared to make a mistake.
When Naz Reid fouled Draymond Inexperienced, the Warriors ahead flailed his arms in a way paying homage to his play in opposition to Houston’s Fred VanVleet within the first-round finale.
Identical to in that sport, lead official Tony Brothers dinged Inexperienced with a technical foul, his fifth of the postseason. If he receives seven techs, it mandates an automated one-game suspension.
Golden State was not the one crew that noticed its franchise participant go away a sport with an harm.
Edwards had scored seven factors within the first half when he left the sport with an obvious left ankle harm on the 5:56 mark of the second quarter.
After remaining within the locker room for the remainder of the primary half, Edwards returned to a thunderous ovation to start out the third quarter.
Edwards got here again trying 100% wholesome, scoring 13 within the second half. The Wolves withstood Golden State’s rally and pulled away to even up the collection.
Sport 3 shall be performed at Chase Heart on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Initially Printed: Might 8, 2025 at 8:02 PM PDT
