Just when the Golden State Warriors needed a miracle, it won’t be coming from Stephen Curry.
Down 3-1 in their best-of-seven Western Conference series and facing elimination at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State fans were hoping for a sliver of hope, maybe a vintage Curry comeback.
Curry, who is dealing with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, provided an injury update prior to the Warriors’ do-or-die Game 5 matchup.
Stephen Curry Rules Himself Out for Game 5
Dub Nation has been glued to the injury report for days. With their backs slammed against the wall, it looks like Golden State will have to keep fighting for their playoff lives without their biggest weapon.
Curry, who first strained his left hamstring in Game 1, officially confirmed he won’t be suiting up for Game 5 on Wednesday night (May 14). And this wasn’t one of those “we’ll see” type of updates. It was clear, blunt, and flat-out painful for fans to hear.
Draymond Green had tried to keep things optimistic, telling Marc J. Spears after Game 4: “Nah, we’re not going to Superman this thing. If he’s in a place where he can play, I’m sure he will.”
Well, it looks like the cape’s staying in the locker.
“Even if I wanted to be Superman, I couldn’t,” Curry told Spears, responding to Green’s earlier comments that hinted at a possible return. And just like that, the hope bubble popped.
“Even if I wanted to be Superman, I couldn’t,” injured Warriors guard Stephen Curry told @andscape in response to Green’s words about Game 5. Curry added he doesn’t expect to be available in 5 and won’t know anything more about his hamstring until his next medical evaluation. https://t.co/1HTwpiHppn
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears)
Doctors still plan to re-evaluate the injury on Wednesday, but Curry himself said he doesn’t expect to be available. The earliest possible return for Curry would be Game 6 on May 18 … if the Warriors can even get there.
Stephen Curry says he doesn’t expect to return for game 5, per @MarcJSpears.
— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk)
Timberwolves Looking To Close Out Warriors
Golden State managed to scrape out a gritty playoff win in Game 1 on the road in Minnesota despite Curry leaving midway through the second quarter. Since that 99-88 win, it’s been all Timberwolves.
Minnesota ran wild in Game 2 en route to a 117-93 victory. And, while the Warriors fought hard in Games 3 and 4, it just wasn’t enough.
Game 3 saw them fall short late in the fourth quarter in a 102-97 loss. In Game 4, the Warriors actually led at halftime, until the Timberwolves steamrolled them in the third quarter and walked away with a 117-110 win.
It’s been that kind of series, close but not close enough.
Down 3-1 and heading back to Target Center in Minnesota — with no Curry in the starting lineup — it’s looking bleak for Golden State. Curry is averaging 22.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game this postseason. His absence is more than just numbers, though. He is the heart and soul of this Warriors squad.
If Golden State wants to stay alive, it’ll need something magical to happen. Because right now, without its biggest star, it’s going to take a whole lot more than belief to get this team to a Game 6.
