Stephen Curry suffered a strained hamstring during Tuesday night's playoff game between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. Short of a miraculous recovery, his team shouldn't expect to have him back on the court for at least a week, if not more. Are they cooked?
You'd think so. Curry is one of the most important players on the floor any time he suits up. He drives the Warriors to greatness. There is no way they win another NBA Championship without him.
Still, right now the playoffs are about surviving and advancing. Golden State doesn't have to win a title this week. They just need to make it through until Curry can return.
So here's a dose of hope: The Warriors haven't fallen to pieces without Curry during recent absences. They have other veteran playmakers to lean on. And the Timberwolves are their own worst enemies.
Warriors record without Steph Curry in 2024-25
The Warriors are 7-5 without Curry this season.
They even beat these very Memphis Grizzlies in January without him in the lineup. And that was before Jimmy Butler joined the team.
Butler's presence could be the big difference here. No one expects the Warriors to be at their best without Steph, but you couldn't ask for a bigger playoff performer than Butler to come in and fill the gap. He just needs to tap into that extra gear.
Butler has averaged 21.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists in his career in the playoffs. That betters all of his regular-season averages.
The Timberwolves may beat themselves
Curry played 13 minutes before his exit. You'd think Minnesota would gain a foothold in the game with Golden State's talisman in the locker room. Nope. The Warriors had a 10-point lead upon his exit and they held a 13-point lead at the half. Their lead ballooned to 20 in the third quarter.
Anthony Edwards was 0-for-9 from the field in the first half. The Timberwolves were 0-for-15 from beyond the arc. The Grizzlies offense has zero juice. The Warriors just need to keep it that way as long as they can.
Draymond Green is still that dude
Love him or hate him, Draymond Green is the linchpin for the Warriors. and he proved it on Tuesday with an efficient scoring performance in Curry's absence.
Realistically, the Warriors can't expect the Grizzlies to continue to play quite as poorly as they did in the opening half of the series. Still, they can use their grit to make up for what they lose in Curry's finesse.
Green and Butler each pulled in six rebounds in the first half, helping the Warriors outrebound the Grizzlies 29-23. Green sets the tone defensively and on the boards. It's those fundamentals that can carry Golden State long enough to give Curry a chance to get back.