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Steph cried in locker room after Game 1 injury vs. Timberwolves

Steph cried in locker room after Game 1 injury vs. Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry didn’t need to say a single word to his team during halftime after exiting the game with a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves playoff series Tuesday night at Target Center.

He had been sitting back in the visitor’s locker room since sustaining the injury early in the second quarter. When Warriors coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the guys rolled in at the midway break, Curry’s face said it all.

Kerr looked at Curry, who had tears falling down his face, and instead of saying anything, gave his superstar point guard an emotional hug, The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II shared in his latest column.

“That’s all I could do,” Kerr told Thompson after the Warriors’ 99-88 win. “I just feel so bad for him. Everything that he does. How much he cares.”

Kerr added that no one on the team said anything to Curry at halftime, who was icing the injury at his locker with his headphones in. All the Golden State coach could do was tell Gary Payton II he would start for Curry in the second half and game plan for the final 24 minutes of the contest without their best player.

Curry exited the game with 13 points in 13 minutes. He’s averaging 22.6 points on 47.7-percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range through eight games during Golden State’s current playoff run, adding 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.1 minutes.

An MRI revealed Wednesday morning that Curry sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and would miss at least one week, ruling him out for at least Games 2, 3 and 4. Game 5 is set for next Wednesday in Minnesota. Game 6, if necessary, will be Sunday, May 18, at Chase Center in San Francisco.

“He’s obviously crushed,” Kerr told reporters postgame. “But the guys picked him up and played a great game. Obviously, we’re all concerned about Steph, but it’s part of the game. Guys get hurt and you move on. 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. They compete, they’re together, been the best defense in the league since the Jimmy trade, and that’s what’s keeping us afloat.”

The team rallied around its superstar and pulled out a huge win on the road. It will take a group effort, led by Curry’s “Robin,” Jimmy Butler, to collectively put on their superhero capes against the Timberwolves.

“It’s super motivating,” Kevon Looney told Thompson “He’s carried a lot of us on his back to the highest level. He set a high standard, and you just want to kind of follow that. He knows we got his back. However long it’s gonna be, we’re gonna go out there and fight and try to win.

“We ain’t gon’ put our heads down. We know how to fight. We know how to be the men at war.”

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This Mazzulla exchange says it all about Celtics' 3-point mentality

This Mazzulla exchange says it all about Celtics' 3-point mentality originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Joe Mazzulla couldn’t contain his smile.

One day after his Celtics set NBA records for the most 3-point attempts (60) and misses (45) in a playoff game en route to a Game 1 loss to the Knicks, a reporter asked Mazzulla about Boston’s 3-point defense and pointed out that New York made more than half of its 3-pointers (11 for 19) in the second half Monday night.

“So, they made them,” the Celtics interrupted with a grin. “Man, what a novel idea. That’s a novel concept, huh? Just make them when you’re open.”

Mazzulla clearly had heard the criticism about Boston’s 3-point-heavy attack in Game 1, which backfired in a big way. Just one of the Celtics’ 20 shot attempts in the third quarter was a 2-pointer, and 34 of their 41 attempts in the second half were 3-pointers. The C’s made just nine of those deep attempts, blowing a 20-point lead and losing home-court advantage as the Knicks took a 1-0 lead in the second-round series.

But if you think Boston’s misses will deter the team from hoisting up more 3-pointers in Game 2, you don’t know Mazzulla.

“The duality of that question is really cool to talk about,” Mazzulla continued. “We start the press conference off by saying, ‘You took all these and you missed them.’ And then you say, ‘They shot 50 percent in the second half from three.’ Yeah, you have to make them.”

There’s nuance to the 3-point discussion, of course. While the Celtics have been historically reliant on deep balls — they smashed NBA records for 3-point makes and attempts during the regular season — they’re at their best when they get quality looks off good ball movement. Their offense was more stagnant in Game 1, however, which led to a few forced 3-pointers that Mazzulla admits he’d like his team to have back.

“I loved the majority of our shots,” Mazzulla added. “There were probably 10 or 11 you could probably take back considering the ebbs and flows of how the game was going at that particular time.

“So, you have to be able to do both. You have to be able to make open shots and you have to have that understanding of the ebbs and flows of a game. Coaching shot selection is always easy. Hindsight’s always 20/20.”

The Celtics swept their regular-season series against the Knicks this season thanks in part to excellent 3-point shooting; they made at least 17 3s on 38.6 percent shooting or better in all four matchups. So, Mazzulla and Co. are likely banking on the idea that Monday’s brick-fest was an aberration.

But the C’s still need to make a concerted effort to get better looks from distance, or Mazzulla will be facing more pressing questions going forward. Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday at TD Garden, with NBC Sports Boston’s coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.

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Report: Steph has Grade 1 hamstring strain, will miss Game 2

Report: Steph has Grade 1 hamstring strain, will miss Game 2 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors will be without their best player for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday at Target Center, and perhaps longer.

Golden State superstar Steph Curry suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Tuesday’s Game 1 win over Minnesota and will be ruled out for Thursday’s contest, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday, citing sources.

Charania also reported, citing sources, that the Warriors expect Curry to miss at least one week with the injury and that an exact return timeline will be based on how he responds to rehab for the muscle strain, which is the first of his 16-year NBA career.

Curry suffered the injury early in the second quarter on Tuesday, and left the game for good after scoring 13 points with one rebound and one assist on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range in 12 total minutes.

While it’s unclear exactly how long Curry will be out, the reported one-week timeline would indicate he not only will miss Game 2 on Thursday, but Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday with a possibility to return for Game 5 next Wednesday at Target Center, which is exactly one week away.

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Steph to miss at least one week with Grade 1 left hamstring strain

Steph to miss at least one week with Grade 1 left hamstring strain originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors will be without their best player for multiple games in the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Golden State superstar Steph Curry suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Tuesday’s Game 1 win over Minnesota and will be re-evaluated in one week, sidelining him for Games 2-4, the team announced after ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report the news.

The Athletic’s Anthony Slater later reported that the Warriors currently are planning on Curry remaining in Minnesota to begin his rehab process with director of sports medicine Rick Celebrini before the team flies back to San Francisco after Thursday night’s game.

Curry suffered the injury early in the second quarter on Tuesday, and left the game for good after scoring 13 points with one rebound and one assist on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range in 12 total minutes.

With Curry set to be re-evaluated in one week, he will miss Game 2 on Thursday at Target Center, Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday at Chase Center, but could return for Game 5 next Wednesday at Target Center, which is exactly one week away, if all goes well.

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Butler tells Timberwolves fans to ‘watch their mouth' with heckling

Butler tells Timberwolves fans to ‘watch their mouth' with heckling originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler issued a stern response to heckling Minnesota Timberwolves fans.

Speaking to reporters after the Warriors’ 99-88 win over Minnesota in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday at Target Center, Butler, the former Timberwolf playing in his first game at the arena since 2021, was asked about the heckling and loud boos he received throughout the game and shared a message to his former fan base.

“That doesn’t bother me,” Butler said. “But people do have to watch their mouth. It’s cool with the boos and all this stuff, but when you’re calling people out of their names, which I can hear …”

“What they say?” Warriors teammate Buddy Hield, who sat next to Butler at his postgame press conference, asked.

Butler: “You want me to repeat it? No, I’m not going to repeat it … That’s unnecessary. The boos, I get it, I understand. Let’s just keep it at that.”

Hield: “Yeah, watch your mouth.”

Butler: “Thanks, little bro.”

Butler only spent one-plus season (69 total games) with the Timberwolves from 2017 to 2018 before requesting a trade that sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The veteran forward’s short tenure in Minnesota was shrouded in controversy due to contract disputes and an overall dissatisfaction with the organization’s culture. So much so that Butler’s former Timberwolves teammate, Jeff Teague, declared Butler the “most hated man in Minnesota” prior to Game 1.

And based on what Butler might have heard from the crowd Tuesday night, he might not be wrong.

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Warriors vs. Timberwolves Game 1: Curry exits with hamstring injury but Butler, Hield spark Warriors win

NBA: Playoffs-Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves

May 6, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler (10) goes to the basket against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) in the fourth quarter during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

It felt like 2018 in Minnesota Tuesday night, and that's not a good thing. That fall, as Jimmy Butler was trying to force a trade out of Minnesota, he walked into one legendary practice, grabbed four end-of-the-bench players and led them in a scrimmage against the starters, talking smack the entire time and leading the scrubs to a win.

That Minnesota nightmare returned on Tuesday. On a night Stephen Curry left the game in the second quarter with a strained hamstring, Jimmy Butler led an undermanned Warriors team with 20 points, 11 rebounds (four offensive) and eight assists. Curry or no Curry the Warriors played strong defense, got timely shooting such as Draymond Green knocking down four 3-pointers, pushed their lead out to 23 at one point, and then held on at the end to pick up the 99-88 victory.

Golden State now leads the series 1-0, with Game 2 on Thursday in Minnesota.

There are two key takeaways from this game.

One is whether Curry will be available Thursday night, or at any point for the rest of the series. Curry will get an MRI on Wednesday to determine the severity of the hamstring strain, but he was seen by reporters limping as he left the arena.

The concern for the Warriors is that even if this is a "mild" Grade 1 strain, Curry could miss most of this series.

The other takeaway is that Anthony Edwards came out flat, shooting 0-of-10 to open the game, scoring just one point in the first half, and the rest of the Timberwolves followed his lead. Anthony and his teammates seemed thrown off by the zone defense Steve Kerr threw at them for chunks of the night. Here is what Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said, via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

"It starts with Anthony. He struggled early and the light went out... You're the leader of the team. You have to come out and set the tone."

"People are going to try to blame whatever, blame whoever," Edwards said, via the Associated Press. "They can blame me. I just didn't play good enough."

Minnestoa started to put it together in the fourth quarter and got the Warriors' lead down to single digits, but Buddy Hield and the Warriors hit enough key shots late to hold on. Hield finished with 24 points and had five made 3-pointers.

Minnesota shot below 40% as a team, and while Edwards came back to lead the team in scoring with 23 he shot just 9-of-22. Julius Randle was 4-of-11 on his way to 18 points, and Naz Reid added 19 off the bench.

Expect a different Timberwolves team in Game 2, if not they will be in a hole that may be too deep to climb out of.

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Stephen Curry leaves game with hamstring strain, will not return

Golden State Warriors v Minnesota Timberwolves - Game One

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 6: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game One of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 6, 2025 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

NBAE via Getty Images

Stephen Curry walked off the court midway through the first quarter of Game 1 of the Warriors series against the Timberwolves and was soon ruled out for the remainder of the night with a strained hamstring.

It's a potentially devastating injury that could change the course of this series (although the Warriors have held on through three quarters of Game 1 because of their strong defense and a rough offensive night from Minnesota). Even a Grade 1 hamstring strain means a player misses at least a week, and usually more like 10 days, to recover. That's a lot of time off in a series where the games come every other day.

Curry appeared to injure the hamstring making a sharp change of direction while defending Mike Conley. He was grabbing at his hamstring for a minute while continuing to play, then when he came out went straight to the locker room.

Curry had 13 points and had knocked down three 3-pointers before exiting the game.

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Pacers vs. Cavaliers Game 2: Haliburton step-back game winner completes comeback, Indiana up 2-0

NBA: Playoffs-Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers

May 6, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (center) celebrates the game-winning three-point basket with forward Aaron Nesmith (23) and center Myles Turner (33) after game two of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

David Richard-Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell understood the assignment. With Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle) and De'Andre Hunter (thumb) all out for Game 2 Tuesday night, and the Cavaliers down 0-1 and desperately needing a win, it all fell to Mitchell — and he dropped 48 points. Behind Mitchell, the Cavaliers led by as many as 20 a couple of times, including midway through the third quarter.

However, scoring is only half the game.

Cleveland could not get a stop when it mattered, giving up 36 points in the fourth quarter. Despite that, the Cavaliers led by seven with 48 seconds left — and gave up an 8-0 run, capped off by Tyrese Haliburton getting the offensive rebound on his own missed free throw, stepping back and hitting the game-winning 3-pointer.

Indiana comes all the way back to get the win on the road, 120-119, and now leads the series 2-0 heading home. The Pacers are in total control of this series, especially if the Cavaliers can't get healthy fast.

This win had echoes of the Pacers' comeback and win in Game 5 to close out the Bucks.

"Obviously, we got lucky. Ty hit another amazing shot to win the game," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "You don't see this very often, let alone twice in one week. Tyrese, he came through again. We're very fortunate."

The Pacers came out of the locker room lacking the defensive pressure or urgency seen in Game 1, and that had Mitchell and the Cavaliers racing out to a 32-15 lead after one quarter. Indiana also could not buy a bucket.

Bennedict Mathurin's play in the second half helped the tide for the Pacers, as he scored 19 points off the bench for Indiana. For the game Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith led the way with 23 points each, while Haliburton finished with 19 points and nine assists.

As much as the Pacers played great late, the Cavaliers faded.

"I feel like we outplayed them for the majority of the game and then towards the end we had our mental lapses. They capitalize on every single mistake that we made," said Jarrett Allen, who had an impressive game with Mobley out playing elite defense, scoring a 22 with 12 rebounds.

By the end, Mitchell looked worn down from carrying the offensive load and shot 2-of-6 in the fourth quarter (but got to the line for eight free throws. With no other point guard to turn to, the Cavaliers had trouble getting the ball over the half-court line or inbounding it against the Pacers' pressure. In the face of Indy's defense, Cavaliers not named Donovan shot 3-of-12 in the fourth quarter. Through two games in this series, Ty Jerome is 1-of-14 — Cleveland needs better from all its guys.

However, what they really need is for Garland and Mobley to be healthy by Game 3, or this series will be all but over.

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How the Knicks can take Game 2 from Celtics in Eastern Conference semifinals

A hot shooting night and swarming second-half defense helped guide the Knicks to a 108-105 overtime victory against the Boston Celtics.

Monday night’s win was progress for the Knicks, who dropped all four games to the Celtics in the regular season. Game 1 highlighted some ways that the Knicks can attack Boston and further a series lead in Game 2.

Top of the mind from the series opener is Boston’s record-breaking night. The Celtics went 15-for-60 (25 percent) from beyond the arc. The 60 three-point attempts and 45 misses were both NBA playoff records. That doesn’t seem like something that the Knicks can rely on happening again. But still, New York’s defenders showed they could get out and contest shooters.

The second half was a masterclass on defense for the three-headed monster of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. The trio of wings flew all over the floor, defending their one-on-one matchups, helping and recovering, and being a general nuisance to Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

All three players covered a considerable amount of ground and propped up two shaky defenders in Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. Expect Boston to emphasize attacking the paint more. The Celtics settled at times in the opener, and 60 threes in a playoff game is an extreme. The Knicks will have to be prepared to defend the paint.

For the Knicks to have a chance in this series, they need to continue to have an aggressive mindset on the defensive end. Defensive stops and forced turnovers are paramount to creating transition opportunities, which will make it easier to score. In the first half, the Knicks had zero fastbreak points. They had 10 fastbreak points in the second half.

Getting out in transition and finding easier looks will help the Knicks generate better looks. New York hasn’t been as effective in the halfcourt. It was also hot from three, making two more treys than Boston, but attempting 23 fewer three-pointers.

Brunson and Anunoby led the way for the Knicks on offense with 29 points apiece. Brunson found a groove in the third and fourth quarters, scoring 20 points. He had some success going against Celtics veteran Al Horford on switches.

On the margins

Kristaps Porzingis’ health will be important going forward. The former Knick was limited to just 13 minutes due to an illness. He is listed as probable for Game 2.

Miles McBride was bound to recover. After a disastrous first-round series, McBride scored 11 points in 19 minutes on Monday. As I highlighted at the start of the series, the Knicks need McBride to be active on both sides of the ball.

There’s a lot the Knicks can work on even in the win. It won’t always be pretty. Towns and Brunson will be out on an island guarding Boston’s top scoring options often. But it will be about helping them on the backline.

Towns played just 31 minutes as he was hampered by fouls all game. Some of the fouls came when he switched on Tatum or Brown. The big man needs to be more disciplined on defense so he can stay on the floor.

The Celtics had seven more offensive rebounds than the Knicks. It helped Boston win the possession battle as they attempted 10 more shots. If the Knicks lose the possession battle, it will be hard to consistently defeat the Celtics. New York managed to win despite that, but it should be a focus for the rest of the series.

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How NBA road teams made playoff history after Warriors' Game 1 win vs. Timberwolves

How NBA road teams made playoff history after Warriors' Game 1 win vs. Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Warriors’ stunning 99-88 Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night at Target Center completed a remarkable few days in the NBA.

With Golden State’s Western Conference semifinal victory, all four road teams won Game 1 of the Division/Conference Semifinals round for the first time in NBA history.

On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers stole their series opener against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. A day later, the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Boston Celtics in overtime, while the Denver Nuggets stunned the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder in the final seconds.

The Warriors completed the feat Tuesday night.

Making the Warriors’ win all the more impressive, they did it for the majority of the contest without Steph Curry, who sustained a left hamstring strain early in the second quarter, exiting the game with 13 points.

The Warriors entered Tuesday’s game with one day of rest after beating the Houston Rockets in Game 7 on Sunday night.

Indiana did the unthinkable and somehow won Game 2 in Cleveland earlier on Tuesday night. New York and Denver will have a chance to snatch their respective Game 2s on Wednesday, while Golden State is back in action Thursday night.

Winning Game 2 without Curry might be a tall task, but for now, the Warriors will bask in the glory of taking the series opener.

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How NBA road teams made playoff history after Warriors' Game 1 win vs. Timberwolves

How NBA road teams made playoff history after Warriors' Game 1 win vs. Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Warriors’ stunning 99-88 Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night at Target Center completed a remarkable few days in the NBA.

With Golden State’s Western Conference semifinal victory, all four road teams won Game 1 of the Division/Conference Semifinals round for the first time in NBA history.

On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers stole their series opener against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. A day later, the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Boston Celtics in overtime, while the Denver Nuggets stunned the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder in the final seconds.

The Warriors completed the feat Tuesday night.

Making the Warriors’ win all the more impressive, they did it for the majority of the contest without Steph Curry, who sustained a left hamstring strain early in the second quarter, exiting the game with 13 points.

The Warriors entered Tuesday’s game with one day of rest after beating the Houston Rockets in Game 7 on Sunday night.

Indiana did the unthinkable and somehow won Game 2 in Cleveland earlier on Tuesday night. New York and Denver will have a chance to snatch their respective Game 2s on Wednesday, while Golden State is back in action Thursday night.

Winning Game 2 without Curry might be a tall task, but for now, the Warriors will bask in the glory of taking the series opener.

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Hield declares himself ‘Batman' after sparking Warriors' Game 1 win

Hield declares himself ‘Batman' after sparking Warriors' Game 1 win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors’ Gotham analogy to describe their team dynamic is becoming a tad complicated.

First, Jimmy Butler was the Robin to Steph Curry’s Batman, then Buddy Hield attempted to insert himself as Alfred.

Now, after his five 3-pointers helped lead Golden State to a 99-88 Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, Hield jokingly declared himself the new Batman in light of Curry’s hamstring injury.

“I’m Batman today,” Hield proclaimed to reporters alongside Butler. “I saved the day. [Jimmy] is still Robin.”

Beforehand, Draymond Green praised Butler and Hield for elevating their play after Curry left the game in the second quarter. Hield led all players with 24 points and a plus-22, while Butler contributed 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

“Robin turned into Batman … Alfred turned into Robin,” Green, whose role in the metaphor remains unclear, explained in his presser.

Hield evidently wanted to one-up Butler amid their ongoing back-and-forth, which hasn’t shown signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Butler, meanwhile, desired to maintain the status quo in the developing Warriors cinematic universe.

“I’m still Robin, and Steph is still Batman,” Butler replied after Hield’s flamboyant claim, “and [Buddy] is still who he is.

“But you had another good game, man,” he concluded with a pat on Hield’s shoulder.

And that wasn’t even the full story of this duo’s shenanigans during an all-time postgame presser.

Nevertheless, with a major question mark around Curry’s injury status, the Warriors might need several Batmans to rise to the occasion throughout this series.

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Steph's injury is why Warriors acquired Butler as insurance

Steph's injury is why Warriors acquired Butler as insurance originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

MINNEAPOLIS – Steph Curry sat at his Target Center locker, headphones in tuning out the world. The Warriors had just outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 99-88 Game 1 win on the road Tuesday night, 48 hours after celebrating their gutsy Game 7 win against the Rockets in Houston. What should have been another jubilant environment was meek and gloomy at best, with Curry severely limping back to the team bus. 

From the way he was bouncing around the court, and the sight of his last three of the night splashing through from a 25-foot waterfall of arc, Curry was in for a game to remember to open the Western Conference semifinals. His night lasted 13 minutes, in which he scored 13 points and made a trio of threes. 

The sight of him grabbing at the back of his left leg could have sucked the life out of what should’ve been a depleted squad. The Warriors ruling Curry out with a strained left hamstring soon after his exit should have spelled doom for the Warriors, who held a 10-point lead when he limped to the locker room.

This is why you trade for Jimmy Butler. 

The dream was to pair Curry with him, two alphas changing the course of a season as they have ever since Butler put on a Warriors jersey, switched to No. 10 and added three roman numerals to honor his late father. But as an insurance plan, Butler is about as reliable as it gets when healthy.

“It’s massive,” Steve Kerr said. “The game settles down. I mean, you could see the last six, eight minutes, all we were doing was side-ball screens for Jimmy and we were even willing to take shot clock violations at that point. It was all about protecting the ball, and Jimmy is, I think, as good as anybody – any star in the game – at reading the game, understanding how to control the tempo and control the time and score, understanding everything that’s happening, and putting the ball in his hands in a situation like that is pretty comforting.” 

Comforting. That’s about as pinpoint of a word as Kerr could have landed on. 

Butler, in the Warriors’ grueling first-round series, had a total of three turnovers and never had a multi-turnover game — finishing three of the seven games without a single giveaway. The game doesn’t speed up with Butler and it doesn’t come to a halting stop. It flows, finding a state of Rhythm and Blues meeting brute strength. 

Buddy Hield was the Warriors’ leading scorer with 24 points, catching fire for 22 second-half points behind five 3-pointers. But it was Butler who made a statement, not by racking up points, but by flying around the floor and playing even bigger than a 7-foot-1 Rudy Gobert, who stands six inches taller than him. 

In the first half alone, Butler had five offensive rebounds and finished with seven, talling 11 boards overall. His teammates refer to him as “Megatron,” channeling his inner Calvin Johnson to go up and grab rebounds that feel out of reach for most. 

“Incredible anticipation,” Kerr said. “And I think that’s one of the things that separates great players, is the anticipation of what’s happening at all times. Both ends of the floor, Jimmy’s got that sense.” 

Butler finished the win with 20 points on 7-of-20 shooting, inefficient to his standards, but was a plus-15 in 41 minutes two nights after giving Golden State 45 minutes. He scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half as Minnesota tried to shift the momentum, his 11 rebounds led the Warriors and were the same amount as Gobert, plus his eight assists were a game-high, as were his two steals – tied with three of his teammates. 

Kerr doesn’t expect Curry to play Thursday in Game 2. Curry is getting an MRI on Wednesday, and missing multiple games is a real possibility. Without the Chef, Butler knows there will be a bigger scoring onus put on him. 

“I guess it’s going to be my job to draw a little more attention, probably not as much as does draw, but I got to find a way to score and get everybody else involved,” he said. 

But he knows who he is and isn’t going to pretend to be Curry or anybody else. 

“I’m not a volume shooter,” Butler said. “Never have been, probably never will be. But I’m going to play the right way. If my guys are open, I’m going to pass it, I’m going to yell, ‘Shoot it!’ and if they don’t shoot it, I’m probably going to yell at them for not shooting the ball. And I’m just going to have to be efficient. 

“I’m going to have to play hard. I know I’m going to have a lot of minutes coming my way. I train for this. I’ll be ready for it.” 

In the three games Butler played without Curry after the trade, he averaged 19.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists. The NBA playoff version of him always finds an extra level. Now he’ll need to tap into a new dimension for however long Curry is sidelined.

There’s the comfort and calmness he brings to his teammates, and the respect and tenacity he demands from them as well. This is why you trade for Jimmy Butler. Not to be Steph Curry, but to be the ultimate safety valve in case of emergency, ripping the hearts of a team and crowd that feels any sense of an advantage going their way.

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What Butler learned about Warriors in Game 1 win over Timberwolves

What Butler learned about Warriors in Game 1 win over Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Every Robin needs a Batman.

After the Warriors’ 99-88 Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night at Target Center, wing Jimmy Butler revealed to TNT’s Lauren Jbara what he learned from Golden State’s formidable performance. 

“That Steph is our best player, and the game is much easier when we’ve got him,” Butler said after the win.

Unsurprisingly, Butler highlighted the importance of star teammate Steph Curry, who left the game early in the second quarter due to a left hamstring strain.

Butler, who has formed a Batman-Robin-esque duo with Curry, is likely heading into Game 2 without his scoring partner. 

Although Butler, Buddy Hield and Draymond Green managed to compensate on offense amid Curry’s absence, it’s a less than ideal scenario for Golden State, which outshot Minnesota 42.9 percent to 17.2 percent from beyond the arc. 

Butler hopes that changes soon.

“We want Steph back, I’ll tell you that,” Butler said. “It’s hard playing without that man, but we got one on the road. [We] came here to do what we had to do.” 

Tuesday night marked Butler’s return to Target Center for the first time since 2021. The 35-year-old spent just over one season with the Timberwolves before his trade demand was fulfilled just three weeks into the 2018-19 NBA season. 

Despite losing his Batman, Butler celebrated his return to Minnesota with a Western Conference semifinal win. It doesn’t get much better than that. 

“Great, with a new group and in the playoffs,” Butler concluded. “I don’t think you can ask for anything better than to be here and get a W.”

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Warriors must maintain Game 1 win grit, energy without injured Steph Curry

Warriors must maintain Game 1 win grit, energy without injured Steph Curry originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The task facing the Warriors now is to prove their Western Conference semifinal Game 1 performance is not who they were for one night but who they will be for the rest of the NBA playoffs.

It’s an exceedingly difficult challenge made essential by the absence of Stephen Curry.

Golden State’s 99-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night was profoundly inelegant yet sublime. The Warriors shot like a gang of drunken bandits, committed more turnovers than their opponent and lost Curry in the second quarter to a strained hamstring.

“We’re all concerned about Steph,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters at Target Center. “But it’s part of the game. Guys get hurt and you move on. 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 are there. They compete. They’re together.

The Warriors won Game 1 by diving into the grime game, and those elements will be necessary for them to have a chance to win this Western Conference semifinals series and any other they might encounter.

They played both ends with enough grit to clog three drains, played defense with an attitude and displayed the resilience of a pack of junkyard dogs, with Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler III leading the way.

“We flew around,” Green said. “We made extra efforts, which was important. We know they’re a very, very good 3-point shooting team, and we knew that we didn’t want to give them uncontested looks. If they get started on 3s, they can roll.”

There was no rolling by the Timberwolves, who were limited to 31 points in the first half. They shot 39.5 percent from the field, including 17.2 percent – 17.2 percent – from deep. They were so bamboozled by the relentless energy surrounding them that they missed a surprising number of open looks.

The Warriors walked out of Target Center having seized the homecourt advantage not because they played superbly but because they played hard.

After producing 20 points, a team-high 11 rebounds, eight assists and two steals over 41 minutes, Butler walked off the court like a man who wouldn’t mind swapping out his hips, legs and feet for new ones. Hield chased Anthony Edwards and scored a game-high 24 points – 22 in the second half – over 40 minutes. Green finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals over 35 minutes.

Which brings us to what the Warriors will need for a long as Curry, who will miss Game 2, is sidelined: More efficiency from their youngsters.

Brandin Podziemski would like to forget his 1-of-7 shooting and back-to-back turnovers in the second quarter. Moses Moody took four shots, missing them all, in four first-quarter minutes and didn’t play much afterward. Jonathan Kuminga played 13 minutes off the bench, scoring seven points but committing two turnovers. All three finished on the ugly side of the plus/minus equation.

Kerr was forced to lean into his depth – 12 players in all – which was barely good enough because each reserve brought a certain velocity.

“Every single guy who came off the bench contributed,” Kerr said. “I never really look at the stats after a playoff game. I just think about how guys competed. And I thought that was every guy who came off the bench.”

The defense was crucial, but this was a triumph of effort over excellence.

And the intensity picked up after Curry, who scored 13 points in 13 minutes, limped off the court with 8:19 left in the second quarter.

“You have to understand what it takes to win a game without your best player, and tonight was a good indication of that,” Kerr said. “Draymond and Loon (Kevon Looney) and Jimmy led the way, just with the leadership on the sidelines, talking to the guys, recognizing you battle for every loose ball, every rebound. We got 18 offensive rebounds. We outrebounded them, 51-41, and their guys are all six inches taller than our guys.

“It’s about the intensity. The heart. The fight. And if you do that, and you give yourself a chance.”

Though the youngsters, whether starting or coming off the bench, will have to be better in Game 2 and beyond, the Warriors would be best served by keeping everything else where it was in Game 1.

Right around 100.

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