Timberwolves beat Curry-less
Warriors 117-93 in Game 2 to even series
[May 09, 2025]
By DAVE CAMPBELL
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves were stewing over
their rough start in Game 1 against Golden State, a reaction coach
Chris Finch was pleased to see.
Julius Randle had 24 points and 11 assists to help the Timberwolves
capitalize on Warriors star Stephen Curry’s absence in a 117-93
victory Thursday that tied the second-round series at a game apiece.
The foundation was laid in an ornery film session with Finch and his
staff the day before.
"He was unhappy, and he let us know he was unhappy, and we felt
that,” Randle said. “We were pretty motivated as a team.”
Anthony Edwards finished with 20 points after an injury scare for
the Wolves, who more than tripled their 3-point output (going 16 for
37) from their Game 1 loss when Curry was sidelined by a left
hamstring strain that likely will keep him out at least until next
week.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 20 points to spearhead a superb
performance by the bench, combining with Donte DiVincenzo and Naz
Reid to go 10 for 22 from deep.
“We looked a lot more like ourselves,” Finch said.
Jonathan Kuminga (18 points) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (15) combined
to shoot 14 for 17 from the floor for the Warriors. They took nearly
five minutes to score, finally breaking through down 13-0 on Jimmy
Butler's 3-pointer.
With the NBA's career leading 3-point shooter next to him on the
bench, coach Steve Kerr used a kitchen-sink experiment with 14
players getting time.
“But I would still like to win,” Butler said. “I think the biggest
lesson is don’t start off in a hole like we did tonight, and the
game maybe could have ended up a little bit differently.”
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Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) goes up for a
dunk during the second half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball
second-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors,
Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Kuminga, the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft
who dropped out of the rotation at times during the regular season
and missed significant time with a sprained right ankle, was a
bright spot off the bench. But this Warriors team was already thin
on offense with a healthy Curry.
“We have to figure out what we’re going to be able to do in this
series without Steph," Kerr said. “So we gave a lot of people a lot
of chances, and some guys really stepped up.”
Against the Wolves and their athletic, long and versatile defense,
there wasn't much to lean on. Without Curry to worry about, the
Wolves had an easier time keeping shooters Buddy Hield and Brandin
Podziemski quiet.
The Warriors put up their lowest first-quarter score (15) in the
playoffs since Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals, according to
Sportradar, when they had 11 in a loss to Cleveland.
Draymond Green picked up his fifth technical foul of the playoffs,
two short of an automatic one-game suspension, for elbowing Naz Reid
after Reid had just fouled him.
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