In the quiet hum of a chilly Minneapolis evening, Stephen Curry wasn’t decked out in his usual battle gear on the hardwood court but rather in attire that seemed better suited for a relaxed day chasing golf balls than chasing down defenders. It wasn’t just casual dress-up either—this was more a nod to the grueling road of recovery that loomed ahead. After an unsettling moment mid-game when Curry gingerly exited with a hurt left hamstring, the Golden State Warriors and their fans were left holding their collective breath, facing the dreaded “day to day” uncertainty we’ve all come to dread. Inside the locker room, though, you wouldn’t have guessed this was a team wrestling with the possible extended absence of its leader. No, their resilience still hummed beneath the surface, the kind that led them to an unexpected triumph over the Wolves in Game 1. But make no mistake, all eyes—and hopes—are locked on that MRI scan scheduled for Wednesday morning, a pivotal juncture that could shape the fate of this postseason push. The playoff grind, with its relentless onslaught of games and unforgiving schedule, waits for no one—least of all one of basketball’s greatest shooters.
LEARN MORE“I’m not a volume shooter. Never have been, probably never will be, but I’m gonna play the right way,” Butler said. “(If) my guys is open, I’m gonna pass it and they’re gonna shoot it. If they don’t shoot it, probably yell at them for not shooting the ball, and I’m just gonna have to be efficient.Green hasn’t hit four triples in a playoff game since the 2017 semifinals against Utah (he hit five in Game 2 of that series) but came alive early when the Warriors needed the spacing and shot-making.No matter the length of Curry’s injury, Butler has to do more, and he knows it.He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
He defended everyone from Rudy Gobert to Julius Randle to Anthony Edwards, calming down the offense as Buddy Hield woke up at the right time. Hield was a +16 in the first half but had just two points (0-7 FG) to his name, and then exploded in the third for 16 when the Timberwolves started to shake off their lethargy.
But it keeps things light in serious, tense moments, especially for a team that only has but so much playoff experience down the roster.Butler and Hield have this playful brotherly energy, where they pick at each other to keep things light. Butler playfully chided Hield for not having the right game shorts on, as Hield had to exit the game and change in the locker room.AdvertisementAdvertisementPerhaps that’s a good sign moving forward.
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