Curry’s Race Against Time

Stephen Curry’s presence, or lack thereof, looms large over the Golden State Warriors’ second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. A hamstring strain has sidelined the star, but hope remains for a return. Ninety minutes before Saturday night’s Game 3, Curry engaged in a pretty strenuous workout on the team’s practice court, signaling a potential, albeit cautious, step forward.

While Curry didn’t push himself to full speed, focusing on a medium-speed shooting routine and stationary bike work, this marked a notable advancement in his recovery. A team source indicated that he has yet to fully test the hamstring with bursts or cuts, the kind of exertion needed to provide definitive information to Curry and Rick Celebrini, the team’s lead medical decision maker, about his readiness to return.

Game 3 fallout: Timberwolves Take the Lead

Despite Curry’s efforts to expedite his return, the Warriors struggled without him, falling to the Timberwolves 102-97 in Game 3. Minnesota now leads the series 2-1. Curry, dressed in a gray sweatsuit, watched from the sideline as his team failed to secure a crucial win.

While Curry hasn’t been officially ruled out for Game 5, the team’s internal focus has been on securing a second win to extend the series past the upcoming three-day break. This would provide Curry with a more realistic target: Game 6 on Sunday.

If we don’t win, we damn sure don’t have to worry about getting Steph back this year. We gotta put our big boy pants on and go out there and compete at a high level and get this one on Monday.
Jimmy butler

Butler’s dominance and Kuminga’s Resurgence

Jimmy Butler elevated his game, playing 43 minutes despite aggravating a glute injury. He took 26 shots, his most since Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference finals, finishing with 33 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. The Warriors were outscored by four points in the five minutes he rested.

Man, Jimmy was amazing. He really controlled the game for us and put us in a position to win, and we just couldn’t close it out. But he was brilliant all night.
Steve Kerr

Jonathan Kuminga also stepped up, delivering a career-defining performance with 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting in 36 minutes off the bench. His defensive impact was equally significant, highlighted by a blocked dunk and a swatted 3-pointer.

Gorgeous sight to see. Like I tell everybody, me and him can thrive together. I know how to space the floor.I can tell him, ‘Hey, when I have the ball, you go here and you do this.’ we talk. We listen to one another. I know that he’s going to be a huge part of us winning on Monday.
Jimmy Butler

Kuminga’s ability to attack the rim and stretch the floor with his improved 3-point shooting has been a major boost for the Warriors’ offense.

It was fantastic to see. You can see how necessary he is in this matchup,especially without Steph.We’re having a tough time getting free, and he’s obviously capable of giving us some points, getting to the rim.
Steve Kerr

Kuminga acknowledged lingering concerns about his ankle, which sidelined him for 31 games earlier in the season. I was just a little nervous on one play. I missed a layup that I don’t usually miss. It was against Conley. The up-and-down-and-under, I was nervous landing. But just throughout the game, throughout all this time, it feels better. It’s not easy (getting the feel back), especially when you don’t get too many opportunities to be out there. I can do all that in my workouts and stuff like that, but if you’re not in the game, it’s different and more serious.

Supporting Cast Struggles

While Kuminga and Butler combined for 63 of the Warriors’ 97 points, the rest of the team struggled to provide consistent scoring. brandin Podziemski, in particular, had a difficult night, missing nine of his 10 shots. If things bounce the other way and we’re in here with a win, nobody cares that he didn’t score a lot. When the game goes in one direction or the other, it’s easy to look at different stats or different things. He’s not a big scorer.He’s a basketball player. He does a lot of great things out there. I thoght he played really well tonight. The shots didn’t go, but I’m confident they will go in Game 4, Kerr said of Podziemski.

Draymond Green’s limited production and foul trouble further hampered the Warriors. He committed six fouls and five turnovers in 29 minutes,ultimately fouling out with 4:38 left in the game.

The sixth one was a tough one.That didn’t feel great looking at the replay, but it is what it is. They outplayed us in the fourth, and they deserved to win.
Steve Kerr

Looking Ahead

The Warriors will rest Sunday and regroup on Monday, seeking to buy Curry’s hamstring more time with a win in Game 4.