During Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Stephen Curry had to leave early with a left hamstring strain. The Warriors guard put up 13 points in just 13 minutes before getting hurt against Minnesota.
The team scheduled an MRI for Wednesday to check out the injury. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was direct: "We don't know yet. But with a hamstring, it's hard to imagine that he would play Thursday," he told ESPN.
The injury happened with 8:20 left in the second quarter. Just after hitting a nice 13-foot shot, Curry grabbed his left leg and waved to the bench. He headed to the locker room within 30 seconds.
But Golden State kept rolling. Their 10-point lead grew to 21 in the third, showing how deep their team is. Draymond Green had an amazing game with 18 points, including four threes, and eight rebounds. Butler added 20 while Hield dropped 24.
"Obviously Steph is Steph...but they were playing like their life depended on it since the beginning of the game," Minnesota's Rudy Gobert told ESPN.
Before this injury, the 37-year-old star was playing great, averaging 24 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in the playoffs. He was already dealing with a sore thumb.
The series schedule is tight with only one day between Games 1-5, though teams get three days off after Game 5.
Butler stayed positive: "I think we all want [No.] 30 back...Until then we can hold down the fort. I know we can." Green shared that confidence: "We won't panic...Jimmy's capable of carrying a team."
Coming off a tough seven-game series with Houston, Golden State now waits to hear Wednesday's test results. The medical report will determine what happens next.
With Game 2 coming up Thursday, they're running short on time. If their scoring leader can't play, the coaches will need to come up with new plans quickly.
