Stephen Curry’s absence has become the biggest storyline to follow in the Warriors vs. Timberwolves second-round series. Early in Game 1 against the Timberwolves on May 6, Curry suffered a Grade 1 strain to his left hamstring. Even without Curry for the majority of the game, the Warriors prevailed in Game 1, but they lost badly in Game 2 and gave up a fourth-quarter lead in Game 3 at Chase Center on Saturday.
Going into Game 4, Curry’s absence was the biggest advantage for the Timberwolves in this series. Anthony Edwards seemingly wanted to press down on this weakness and began his mental games with the Warriors even before tip-off. In a viral moment caught on camera, Edwards was copying Curry’s iconic ‘Night Night’ celebration during the pre-game warm-ups.
Ammo for our Petty King? 🤨 pic.twitter.com/33khT1MLas
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 13, 2025
Warriors fans did not take this gesture in kind spirit. They got triggered and started criticizing Edwards.
“I bet he ain’t doing the night night with Steph on the floor”, said a frustrated fan. Another fan resonated with this emotion and said, “Lmao lame asf, wouldn’t be doing this if Curry was playing.”
“Somebody please show the team this”, said a fan who probably feels this can fuel the Warriors into pushing for a Game 6 or 7 when Curry is expected to return.
“This would’ve been Golden State easyyy sweep & get some rest if Steph was playing”, said another angry Warriors fan who felt they would sweep the Timberwolves if Curry was healthy. Another fan felt the same way and said, “If Curry was playing, he would’ve put his a** to sleep.”
In the video shown above, Edwards seems to have Curry’s absence on his mind. As the Timberwolves seek a comfortable 3-1 lead in the series, if they win today, Edwards seems to want to continue the trash talk with his Olympic teammate despite his absence on the floor. Anthony Edwards has so far in this series averaged 26.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in three games played. If the Warriors don’t step up in Curry’s absence, Edwards could torch them and end this series in five games.
Latest On Stephen Curry: When Will The Warriors Star Return?
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Curry made it through “a pretty strenuous workout” before Saturday’s game, marking a “notable advancement” in what Golden State hopes would be an “expedited” comeback.
Slater wrote, “Curry didn’t push it to full speed, according to a team source. He’s yet to burst or cut, or test that left hamstring in a manner that’ll deliver him and Rick Celebrini — the team’s lead medical decision maker — the true information they’ll need on whether the hamstring is healed enough to return deeper in this series. But he went through a medium-speed shooting routine and rode the stationary bike. This was a notable advancement for Curry in his race against time.”
The usual recovery time for a Grade 1 Hamstring strain is seven to ten days. Considering he injured himself during Game 1 on May 6, he is expected to return between May 13 to 16. In our anticipation, Curry should be back on the floor by Game 6. Therefore, the Warriors just have to ensure they force a Game 6 in this series, and the Chef will be back on the floor.
