No Stephen Curry? No problem—for now. Despite losing their franchise star midway through Game 1, the Golden State Warriors pulled off a gutsy 99–88 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to steal homecourt advantage and take a 1–0 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals. But underneath the celebration is a deep sense of urgency—and uncertainty.

Curry exited midway through the second quarter with a hamstring strain, ending his night with 13 points in just 13 minutes. It didn’t look catastrophic in real time, but as Steve Kerr noted, “We’re planning as if he’s not playing in Game 2.” That’s not just precaution—it’s reality in the NBA Playoffs, where even mild injuries can swing entire series. Curry’s MRI is scheduled for Wednesday, but reporters already saw him limping out of the arena.

In his absence, it was a collective uprising from a locker room that’s been volatile all year. Jimmy Butler delivered a vintage all-around performance, finishing with 20 points, 11 boards (seven offensive!), and eight assists, throwing it all the way back to his infamous Wolves practice when he embarrassed the starters with a group of third-stringers.

Buddy Hield stayed hot with 24 points and five triples, while Draymond Green played the floor general role with 18 points, eight boards, and six assists. But it wasn’t just the numbers—it was the energy.

Steve Kerr & Co. Patch the Cracks Without Steph

The Warriors employed a 1-3-1 zone defense that completely threw the Timberwolves off their rhythm, making their offense look remedial. Minnesota went a brutal four minutes without a single basket, struggling to generate quality looks against the unexpected scheme.

The Timberwolves missed their first fifteen three-point attempts and shot just 17.2% from deep overall. Anthony Edwards, their rising star, opened the game 0-of-10 and had just one point at halftime. While he stormed back in the fourth with 13 points, it was too little, too late.

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“People are going to try to blame whatever, blame whoever,” Edwards admitted postgame. “They can blame me. I just didn’t play good enough.” Chris Finch didn’t sugarcoat it either: “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.”

While Minnesota unraveled, the Warriors dug in. Gary Payton II hit a clutch three, Kevon Looney banged bodies down low, Guy Santos brought infectious hustle in under four minutes, and Jonathan Kuminga’s defense on Edwards late helped stem the tide. The collective identity of the Warriors, so often fractured this season, looked suddenly reborn.

Postgame, Draymond Green wasn’t pretending the road ahead would be easy without Steph. “Your margin for error shrinks dramatically without Steph,” he said. “I’m not gonna come out and be like, ‘Oh man, I need to be Steph.’ I can’t do that. But I may have to handle a little more.”

He also gave major props to Butler, saying, “incredible at making plays,” and emphasized that the team’s collective IQ and cohesion will need to step up. “Robin turned into Batman—which I call Buddy—Alfred turned into Robin,” Green joked. “Everybody played great minutes.”

Kerr echoed that mentality, saying, “The difference [from 2016-18] is we had an all-time roster then. But the lesson remains the same—you’ve got to battle. Draymond, Loon, and Jimmy led the way. We got 18 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded a team that’s way bigger than us.”

What the Warriors are banking on now isn’t star power—it’s effort, focus, and next-man-up grit. That identity had been missing most of the season. But in one tough, Curry-less night in Minneapolis, they might’ve just rediscovered it.

Game 2 tips off Thursday, and no one knows yet if Stephen Curry will suit up. But one thing is clear: the Warriors locker room, which has been unstable for months, is finally locking in, just in time. Whether it’s enough to outlast Minnesota without their engine remains to be seen. But as Draymond put it: “We’ll get back to the drawing board. I think we got the best coaching staff in the NBA… It’s on us to go out there and perform.”