Road Warriors: Golden State makes NBA playoffs history without injured Stephen Curry
Road Warriors: Golden State makes NBA playoffs history without injured Stephen Curry
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Previewing the Warriors and Timberwolves matchup in the NBA playoffs
USA TODAY's Lorenzo Reyes breaks down his thoughts on Steph Curry and the aging Warriors team going up against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.
Sports Pulse
Buddy Hield came to the rescue for the Golden State Warriors once again.
For the second consecutive game, the Warriors needed scoring and Hield delivered – this time with Steph Curry sidelined due to a left hamstring strain.
Hield scored 16 of his team-high 24 points in the third quarter as the Warriors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 99-88 Tuesday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals series.
MORE: Steph Curry out of Game 1 with hamstring injury
MORE: Wardrobe malfunction: Warriors guard has wrong shorts on to start Game 1
Curry had 13 points before leaving the game with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter and did not return. Hield, Draymond Green (18 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals) and Jimmy Butler (20 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, two steals ) carried the offense in Curry's absence, and the Warriors took advantage of a putrid Timberwolves offense (39.5% from the field).
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with an inefficient 23 points and 14 rebounds.
The road team is now 5-0 in the conference semifinals, and Golden State's victory marked the first time in NBA history that the road team won all four Game 1s in the second round.
Coach Steve Kerr said after the win that Curry was day-to-day and would have an MRI on Wednesday.
"I talked to him at halftime,' the Warriors coach said. 'He's obviously crushed, but the guys picked him up and played a great game. Obviously we're all concerned about Steph. …
"Our guys did a great job of moving on and getting a great win 48 hours after a Game 7 road win. It's an amazing group of guys. These guys — they compete, they're together. We've been the best defense in the league since the Jimmy trade, and that's what's keeping us afloat right now.'
Game 2 is Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT) in Minneapolis.
Warriors-Timberwolves Game 1 winners
Buddy Hield
Hield made nine 3-pointers against Houston, tying a Game 7 record, and he made five threes in Game 1 against Minnesota. It's the first time this season that Hield has made more than 10 3s in consecutive games. The Warriors have received necessary shooting from Hield, who is one of the league's best shooters and won the 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend in 2020.
''We needed every one of his 24 points. With Steph out, we have very few options offensively,' Kerr said.
Hield is now 23-for-50 (46%) on 3s in the eight playoff games. Regardless of Curry's availability the rest of the series, the Warriors need Hield's shooting.
He also needed to make amends for wearing the wrong shorts to start the game, which resulted in a delay of game penalty for the Warriors.
Road teams
As noted, road teams are unbeaten in the conference semifinals. It's not a surprise the Warriors got one on the road. In their past 31 playoff series, they have won a road game in 30 of those series, including Game 7 at Houston on Sunday.
Jimmy Butler's defensive presence
Since acquiring Butler, the Warriors have the best defense in the league. In seven games in the first round, Golden State held Houston to less than 100 points three times and then allowed just 88 from the Timberwolves in Game 1.
With Butler on the court, Minnesota scored just 92.4 points per 100 possessions. That's why Golden State made the move at the trade deadline to acquire Butler who played 41 minutes.
Golden State's 3-point shooting
Hield wasn't the only Warrior making 3s. The Warriors made 18-for-42 (42.9%) and outscored the Timberwolves 54-15 from that distance. Draymond Green made four, Curry made three and Butler and Gary Payton II each made two.
It's not the same 3-point team as when they had Klay Thompson, but the Warriors are still one of the league's best 3-point shooting teams.
Warriors-Timberwolves Game 1 losers
Injuries
It's known that injuries impact the playoffs. 'It's part of the game. Guys get hurt, you move on,' Kerr said.
But the playoffs are better when teams are healthy and stars are on the court. Kerr said Curry will get an MRI on Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury and his availability for the rest of the series. By stealing home court advantage, Golden State has the flexibility to sit Curry in Game 2 and give him extra rest and treatment as long as the injury doesn't rule him out for multiple games.
Anthony Edwards' offense
All-Star Anthony Edwards' 23 points and 14 rebounds look better on paper. He needed 22 shots to get his 23 points, missed his first 10 shots and was just 1-for-5 on 3-pointers.
'You're a leader of the team, and you've got to come out and set the tone in all ways that that happens,' Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. 'If your shot's not going, like you still have to carry the energy. If I have to talk to guys about having the right energy coming into an opening second-round game, then we're not on the same page.'
Timberwolves' offense
Edwards wasn't the only player who struggled to score for Minnesota. The Timberwolves shot 39.5% from the field and 17.2% on 3-pointers and scored just 31 points in the first half, including 11 in the second quarter.
Mike Conley, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo were a combined 7-for- 27 from the field. After scoring at least 90 points in 82 regular-season games, the Timberwolves have failed to reach 90 twice in six playoff games.
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