SAN FRANCISCO – Steph Curry to the rescue?
The Warriors cautioned against a hopeful yet hypothetical return of their injured superstar Wednesday night, when they must stave off elimination in their Minnesota return for Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals.
“No, we’re not going to Superman this thing,” forward Draymond Green said after Monday’s 117-110 home loss. “If he’s in a place where he can play, I’m sure he will. Him and Rick (Celebrini, the Warriors’ director of sports medicine) and everybody will figure that out.
“But we don’t need Superman. Play the long game,” Green continued. “So if he can (play), we know he will. But there’s no pressure. We have to figure out how to win whether he plays or not.”
“Even if I wanted to be Superman, I couldn’t,” Curry told Marc Spears of ESPN’s Andscape while adding he doesn’t expect to be available Game 5.
Coach Steve Kerr refused to entertain whether or not Curry could return Wednesday from a Grade 1 hamstring strain in last Tuesday’s series-opening loss at Minnesota.
“Wednesday, we’ll have an update,” said Kerr, adding that he assumes Curry will make the trip but had yet to confirm that with the four-time NBA champion, two-time league MVP and last summer’s key to the United States’ Olympic gold medal.
In their announcement of Curry’s injury last week, the Warriors identified Wednesday as his re-evaluation date, one week after the MRI that confirmed his Grade 1 hamstring strain.
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 acknowledges Golden State Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis #32 as he walks off the court after their 117-110 NBA Western Conference semifinal loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, May 12, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Kerr did not ignore the impact of Curry’s absence this series, not after the Warriors made just 37-of-85 field-goal attempts and 8-of-27 from 3-point range Monday night. Super sub Jonathan Kuminga scored a team-high 23 points, but he made only 6-of-13 field-goal attempts; Green made 6-of-14 for 14 points, and Jimmy Butler 5-of-9 for 14 points.
“The series changed with Steph’s injury, so everybody’s shots are going to be more difficult,” Kerr said. “Steph is the guy who breaks the defense down for us and creates that offensive flow. The end result is shots are more difficult for every single guy.”
It wasn’t easy for Curry to sit out as the Warriors lost back-to-back home playoff games in a series firo the first time since the 2019 NBA Finals against Toronto, when Curry & Co. were seeking a three-peat at Oracle Arena.
Monday night, Curry wore a fashionable red jacket and black jeans instead of his No. 30 jersey. He was the last Warriors player off the court, making sure to high-five teammates as they glumly left Chase Center for perhaps the final time this season.
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) chats with Golden State Warriors’ Buddy Hield (7) during their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, May 12, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“You can tell it’s killing him not being on the floor but he’s keeping a positive spirit because we need his leadership,” center Kevon Looney said. “Everyone looks to him for his guidance and wisdom. On the floor, he’s trying to coach us up.”
“He’s not silent,” Green added. “He’s communicating with everyone, kind of a voice between coaches and players. You can tell he’s antsy. He grabs the ball and starts dribbling.”
If Curry can’t return to action Wednesday night, Green said the Warriors must track down every loose ball, get every rebound, push the pace and play better defense.
“You give up 117 points without Steph, you’re likely losing,” Green added. “Everyone has to commit to getting it done on the defensive end.”
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, an Olympics teammate of Curry, said he wishes he could be playing against him this series had Curry’s hamstring not gotten injured 13 minutes into it.
Said Edwards: “Yeah, man, he’s the greatest. Greatest shooter of all time. I would definitely love to compete against him, man, but he got hurt, unfortunately, and I hope he gets better.”
Originally Published: May 12, 2025 at 11:22 PM PDT
