A strange scene unfolded early in the second quarter of the Golden State Warriors’ gutty Game 1 road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
Forty-eight hours after an elimination survival win in Houston, about 30 hours after landing in town straight from Texas, the fatigued Warriors — facing a significant four-day rest and prep disadvantage — went up 30-20 on the third of Draymond Green’s four first-half 3s.
Green roared at the Minnesota bench as Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called timeout. The Warriors’ bench rushed the floor to celebrate the team’s loud arrival into this second-round series, showing the oomph and energy they promised despite the condensed schedule. But as Green turned to celebrate the surge with Curry, he saw his star point guard limping to the locker room. Curry was grabbing at his upper leg.
“I didn’t see that he grabbed his hamstring,” Green said. “I just saw him limping a bit. I walked over to tell him good pass and asked him, ‘You good?’ He said, ‘I’ll be back.’ So we didn’t know for a long time. Then they finally told us it was a hamstring. Little deflating.”
General manager Mike Dunleavy followed Curry to the back and came out 10 minutes later, delivering the news to Green on his way back to the bench. Left hamstring strain. Curry was done for the night.
Yet, the Warriors still found a way to get a win. Read more below.
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