Stephen Curry exited Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a hamstring strain. Curry had to head to the locker room in the second quarter, and while he is listed as day-to-day, Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT, has shared some grim scenarios for his return.
“Typical timeline of healing is: Grade I: 7-10 days, Grade II: 3-6 weeks.”
Curry is set to undergo an MRI on Wednesday. Provided Jeffries is on point here, the best-case scenario is him missing Games 2 through 4. Curry could potentially miss Game 5 as well, which will be played on May 14 at Target Center.
If it’s a Grade II strain, though, then Curry could miss most of the NBA Finals as well, provided the Warriors make it that far. The Finals begin on June 5, with a potential Game 7 being held on June 22. You wouldn’t back the Warriors to get to the Finals if Curry is out, but they did just stun the Timberwolves 99-88 on the road without him.
Buddy Hield once again came up big for the Warriors with 24 points (7-19 FG), eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal in Game 1. Hield scored 33 points in Game 7 against the Houston Rockets, and he has stepped up at the best possible time for the Warriors.
Draymond Green also delivered against the Timberwolves with 18 points (6-13 FG), eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Green went 4-6 from beyond the arc in the second quarter and helped the Warriors pull away.
It’s a tad unrealistic to expect these two to keep this up, though, and the Warriors’ hopes of staying alive in these playoffs during Curry’s absence rest on Jimmy Butler’s shoulders. Butler finished with 20 points (7-20 FG), 11 rebounds, eight assists, and two steals against the Timberwolves. It wasn’t a vintage performance, but it was enough to win Game 1.
Butler stated after the game in his press conference that he believes the Warriors can stay afloat without Curry.
“We all want 30 back,” Butler said. “That is for sure. But we want him to do what’s best for himself, best for our group in the long haul. But until then, we can hold down the fort. I know we can.”
The Warriors went 7-5 without Curry in the regular season, and that should give them the belief they can hold the fort. They have now snatched home-court advantage in this series as well and are in the ascendancy as things stand.
What’s quite interesting here is that this is the first time in Curry’s career that he’ll be missing time due to a hamstring injury. The 11-time All-Star dealt with ankle issues not long after entering the league and was playing through a thumb injury in these playoffs, but his hamstrings had never given him major problems.
Considering how much Curry moves around during games, this is one of those injuries you do get worried about the most when it comes to him. Here’s hoping this doesn’t become a recurring problem moving forward for the 37-year-old.
Game 2 of this series will be at the Target Center on Thursday at 8:30 PM ET.
