5 things that stood out from Timberwolves' Game 1 loss to Warriors

Steph Curry's injury, Minnesota's poor shooting and its lackluster effort were among things that stood out Tuesday night.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards controls the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green in the first quarter during Game 1of their Western Conference semifinal at Target Center in Minneapolis on May 6, 2025. | Bruce Kluckhohn / Imagn Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves laid an egg in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night, falling 99-88 at Target Center in Minneapolis. It certainly wasn't the prettiest performance.

There were no shortage of intriguing storylines coming in, there was plenty revealed on the court in Game 1 and some new storylines came to the forefront after the loss. Here are five things that stood out from the Wolves' Game 1 defeat:

Steph Curry's injury

No doubt the biggest story coming out of Game 1 is the status of Golden State's all-time great who did not return after exiting in the second quarter with a left hamstring strain. While the Warriors celebrated stealing back home court, they also lost Curry, who reportedly suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain and will be ruled out for Game 2. Even mild Grade 1 strains can consist of one-to-two week recovery periods, though the best case scenario for mild strains is under a week.

Curry's status going forward, and whether the Warriors can overcome his absence, is the top question after Game 1.

Wolves' shooting woes

Minnesota was 0 for 15 from 3-point range in the first half of Game 1 and ultimately went just 5 for 29 from long range. After their 7-for-47 shooting from 3 in a Game 5 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, that makes the Wolves 12 for 76 from deep in their last two games, the worst two-game shooting stretch in NBA playoff history. Big yikes ...

Some of that rests on the shoulders of their best player, Anthony Edwards, who's just 1 for 16 from 3 in those two games. But Minnesota really needs more from its role players, particularly its two key bench guards in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Donte DiVincenzo, who've shot a combined 5 for 30 from long range in the past two games. That type of shooting performance isn't a way to win, and the Wolves will need to hit at a higher clip going forward to bounce back in the series.

Lack of energy

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch didn't mince words about the lack of energy he perceived at the start of Game 1, and he placed blame directly on Edwards, the team's leader, saying he could see "the light go out a little" after he struggled early.

"If I've got to talk to guys about having the right energy coming into an opening second-round game, then we're not on the same page," Finch said.

Edwards viewed things a little differently, believing his energy was there, but that he struggled and needed to play better.

"I feel like I played great defense, but I just couldn't do nothing on offense," Edwards said.

Edwards finished with 23 points, but shot just 9 for 22 from the field and had only two assists and three turnovers, half of his total in the entire five-game series against the Lakers. He did pull down 14 rebounds, and had three steals and a block. Regardless, the energy wasn't there in Game 1 and needs to be better from Edwards a on down the entire roster.

Jimmy Butler's return

Butler made his first appearance at Target Center in four years, and it wasn't flashy, it wasn't revenge, it was just winning basketball. Perhaps even a little reminiscent of how his play was described at the infamous scrimmage in 2018 when he played with the Wolves' B-squad and beat their starters — not with his scoring, but with great defense and the right plays.

Butler finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds — including seven offensive — eight assists and two steals. Butler had only one turnover and posted a plus-minus of plus-15, second best in the game to his teammate Buddy Hield, in 41 minutes.

Butler wasn't flashy, but he did all the little things right, which directly translated to a Warriors win.

Defensive matchups

There was much discussion of how the two teams would match up in this series with Minnesota's massive size advantage and Golden State featuring Curry, one of the most difficult assignments in the NBA, and the two teams having not faced each other since the Warriors acquired Butler. There weren't a ton of surprises at the start: McDaniels was on Curry, Julius Randle on Butler, Edwards on Brandin Podziemski, Rudy Gobert on Draymond Green and Mike Conley defended Hield.

The big question now will be how the Wolves decide to match up with Curry set to miss Game 2 and perhaps beyond. McDaniels is Minnesota's best perimeter defender, and Finch will now be able to move him around. How both teams respond to Curry's absence offensively and defensively will now be a significant storyline moving forward.

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