In the highly anticipated first game of the Western Conference Second Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Warriors faced off against the Timberwolves in a fierce showdown. With Curry sidelined, the Warriors rose to the challenge, led by superb performances from Buddy Hield and Draymond Green, who collectively scored 42 points, while Jimmy Butler added another 20. They successfully conquered the Timberwolves’ home court, kicking off the series with a win. The upcoming Game 2 has fans buzzing with excitement—will the Timberwolves seek revenge?
In the second game, the Warriors started with a lineup of Hield, Brandin Podziemski, Butler, Green, and Quentin Post, while the Timberwolves were led by Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert. Early in the game, the Warriors faced significant offensive hurdles in the absence of Curry, committing as many as 5 turnovers in the first quarter, which resulted in frequent mistakes on both ends of the court, allowing the Timberwolves to quickly build a lead, finishing the first quarter at 29 to 15.
As the game progressed, the Warriors saw a slight rebound thanks to Kuminga’s outstanding performance, as he scored for the team in the second quarter. However, by halftime, the Warriors still trailed with a score of 39-56. The team’s three-point shooting was disappointing, with only 3 out of 13 going in, indicating a lack of execution in their tactics.
In the second half, the Warriors planned for Kuminga to return to the game, and he showed solid scoring efficiency. However, Green and Moody were clearly not in great form. Although the Warriors worked hard to close the gap to seven points in the third quarter, the Timberwolves maintained their relentless offensive prowess, with the entire team contributing on the scoreboard, ultimately expanding their lead to 20 points by the end of the quarter.
As the decisive quarter approached, despite Hield sinking two three-pointers, his overall performance posed little threat, and the team ultimately suffered a crushing defeat of 117 to 93 against the Timberwolves, bringing the series to a tie at 1-1. In this match, the Timberwolves showcased impressive teamwork, with Randle contributing efficiently with 24 points, which helped elevate the overall three-point shooting percentage to 43%, a noticeable improvement compared to their dismal performance in the previous game.
For the Warriors, despite Hield maintaining a three-point shooting percentage of 44%, it hasn’t been enough to fill the gap left by Curry’s absence. Kuminga shone in this game, scoring 18 points, the highest on the team. Moving forward, the Warriors will need to lean on team defense and rim protection to secure wins, especially if they can snag victories at home, which would significantly benefit Curry’s recovery time.
