Warriors’ playoff hopes: Steph Curry’s impact
The Warriors’ chances against the Timberwolves depend heavily on Steph Curry’s return to the court.
Time is slipping away from the Golden State Warriors and their star guard Steph Curry.
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Warriors 117-110 in Game 4 on Monday, securing a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series.
Minnesota used a 39-17 third quarter, which included a 21-2 run, to take control of the game and the series. Timberwolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter, and Julius Randle continued his stellar playoff season with a game-high 31 points. Jaden McDaniels contributed 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The Timberwolves are one victory from returning to the conference finals for the second consecutive season, and the odds are in their favor. Just 13 teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series, and teams that lead a best-of-seven series 3-1 go on to win the series 95.6% of the time (280-13).
Game 5 is Wednesday in Minneapolis (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT).
Jonathan Kuminga scored 23 points off the bench, and Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green each had 14 points for the Warriors.
Curry missed his third consecutive game with a grade 1 left hamstring strain, and last week, the Warriors said Curry was scheduled for a re-evaluation in one week, which is Wednesday. There’s the possibility he’s cleared to play in Game 5, but even if he’s able to play then, will he be close enough to 100% to help extend the series?
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