Beating the Minnesota Timberwolves with Steph Curry was a challenging task for the Golden State Warriors.
Beating the Timberwolves without Curry proved impossible.
Curry sustained a grade 1 left hamstring strain in the second quarter of Game 1, a Warriors victory. But Curry missed the next four games, and the Timberwolves won all four, eliminating Golden State in their Western Conference semifinal series in a 121-110 win Wednesday in Game 5.
Who knows if Golden State would’ve won the series with Curry. They likely would’ve extended it beyond five games. No chance without him.
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The Warriors lacked offense and defense, and while Curry’s importance can’t be overstated, his absence revealed just how important he is to making Golden State a contender.
That doesn’t minimize Minnesota’s series victory. It’s the Timberwolves’ second consecutive trip to the West finals, and though officially the No. 6 seed, they could’ve easily been the No. 3 seed. They have the coaching (Chris Finch and staff) and personnel led by Anthony Edwads (All-NBA) and Julius Randle to win the next series and get to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. They will play either Oklahoma City or Denver in the conference finals.
“The playoffs are really about health and just guys stepping up and making big shots and big plays in key games,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s what decides every series. We’ve been on both ends of that (injuries) and it’s just part of it, and there’s no sense in dwelling on it. I don’t want to take away from anything from what Minnesota just accomplished so no sense in even talking about Steph.”
The Warriors’ direction is clear. When they acquired 35-year-old Jimmy Butler at the February trade deadline and signed him to a two-year extension through 2026-27, they went all-in on trying to win another championship with the 37-year-old Curry who is still an All-NBA player, and the 35-year-old Draymond Green who was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year this season.
Curry and Green are also under contract through 2026-27. The Warriors committed to a championship run this season, next season and in 2026-27. They have two more seasons to get it done.
There’s good reason to believe the Warriors can still make another run at a title with Curry, Green and Butler. Golden State was 25-26 when Butler joined the team. They were 23-8 with Butler to finish the regular season (the best defensive team in that stretch), won a play-in game against Memphis to get the No. 7 seed and beat second-seeded Houston in a seven-game series in the first round.
Then came Curry’s injury, which was unfortunate for the Warriors. As Kerr said, it’s part of the game, and it derailed their pursuit of a title this season.
What about next season? Besides Curry, Green and Butler, Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis are under contract in 2025-26, and the Warriors have a decision to make on Jonathan Kuminga who is a restricted free agent. An injury interrupted his growth, and Butler’s arrival reduced his role this season.
In a loaded Western Conference that is getting better and deeper, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. will need to get creative to improve the roster. Golden State traded its 2025 first-round pick and does not have significant salary cap space to make a major move in free agency. They have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1 million) and bi-annual exception ($5.1 million) to sign free agents, and trades will be an option.
Because it’s the Warriors and an ownership group led by co-executive chairman and CEO Joe Lacob committed to a championship before Curry retires, the Warriors will be mentioned in the Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit, if Antetokounmpo wants out of Milwaukee.
A four-time champion in the past 11 seasons, Golden State remains fascinating as it chases another championship.
Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors vs. Timberwolves: Minnesota advances to NBA conference finals
