Curry-Less Warriors Look Lost in Game Two Loss to Timberwolves

In game one against the Timberwolves, the Warriors lost Stephen Curry to a hamstring injury. Rather than folding after their leader went down, they rebounded in a big, big way. The team stuck together, played hard defense, and outlasted a strong Minnesota team.

That plan did not repeat itself on Thursday night.

(Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)

Once again without Curry, Golden State knew what they needed to do to win.

They had to play smart basketball, limit their turnovers, and clamp down on defense. Instead, they looked completely out of sorts at all stages of the game.

A Lackluster Follow Up

The Warriors were a complete shell of the team they were in game one. All of their discipline seemed to disappear, their shots weren’t falling, and they showed a surprising amount of impatience on the offensive side of the ball.

The Timberwolves came out hot

So hot, that they hit almost all of their early shots by spreading the ball around and getting everyone involved.

The Warriors on the other hand, couldn’t get anything going and struggled to get the ball into the basket.

Draymond Green, fresh off of his big game one, couldn’t get a three to go in, while the role players either tried to go one-on-one or turned the ball over at inopportune times.

Minnesota took the first quarter 29-15, the first half by 17, and then strolled all the way to a 117-93 win

The only sign of life from Golden State came in the third quarter, when a late surge allowed them to cut the lead to seven.

However, the comeback was short-lived. The Timberwolves went on a huge run to close out the quarter, putting the game away and tying the series 1-1.

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The Curry Issue

After game one, it seems that Jimmy Butler could be enough to lift the Warriors in Curry’s absence. After game two, it’s clear how much they need their point guard.

They might have a chance, but it’s going to be an uphill struggle the entire way

In their latest update, the Warriors reported that Curry is diagnosed with a grade 1 hamstring strain and is set to be re-evaluated in one week.

That means he’s set to miss at least games three and four, but could sit out five and six depending on the severity of the injury.

“It’ll be one of those [injuries], after a week, really evaluating every day to kind of understand when it’s safe just to even think about playing,” Curry explained “...How much can you push it?”

That’s incredibly trouble news because, while the timeline shows he would be back for the conference championship, the Warriors might never get there.

They are a strong team with a lot going for them, but they are much, much worse without their star

Though there’s some optimism he could bounce back sooner rather than later, he’s also aware that he has to listen to the limitations of his body.

“This is new,” Curry said in an interview. “And from all that I’m learning about how quickly you can get back, there has to be a healing process.

That’s just how your body works, and you can’t accelerate it more than what it is telling you.”

Ailing Anthony Edwards

Curry isn’t the only injury news of the series.

Though his hamstring is undoubtedly the most concerning, Anthony Edwards also left the game briefly on Thursday during the second quarter when Trayce Jackson-Davis accidentally landed on his ankle during a rebound.

The Timberwolves star clutched his hurt joint on the floor and needed to be helped off the court

He did return in the second half, presumably with some pain killers in his system, and managed to finish the game. Still, with Curry out his status for game three is up in the air.

The team is presuming he’ll play, but how much remains to be seen. It’s another injury worth monitoring for both sides, and something that could come into play next contest.

Not Done Just Yet

It’s easy to be pessimistic after game two, but the Warriors are a team who’s used to fighting through adversity.

They also have Jimmy Butler. The superstar earned his stripes as a leader who’s more than capable of taking over a game and leading his team.

He might not be Curry, but he still has an aura and leadership that could get the Warriors through the second round.

It all depends if he can step up and get the rest of the role players operating at a high level.

There’s no doubt that Butler is a high-level talent

There’s also no doubt that he can lead. If the Warriors want to weather the storm without Curry, it’s going to take everyone. Losing on Thursday was a team effort.

It’s also going to be a team effort if they want to win games three and four.

That comes down to discipline, hard defense, and smart play. They can’t get overwhelmed by the moment, nor can they come out flat again. A lot of that rests on Butler’s shoulders. He has to be the spark plug that gets things started next time around.