Following an MRI exam on Wednesday that confirmed a mild strain to his left hamstring, the Golden State Warriors are anticipating playing without their star guard, Stephen Curry, for a minimum of their next three games in the second-round series against Minnesota.

The Warriors announced that Curry would be sidelined for a minimum of one week following the injury sustained on Tuesday night, which necessitated his early departure in the second quarter of Game 1, a match they subsequently won 99-88. He contributed 13 points in 13 minutes, helping Golden State establish a significant lead and thus depriving the Timberwolves of home-court advantage.

“Each year, the playoffs necessitate adaptation, whether concerning strategy, injuries, or personnel, so we must simply adjust,” stated coach Steve Kerr. “We possess prior experience in this regard and are confident in our ability to navigate this challenge once more.”

The second game of the series will take place in Minneapolis on Thursday, prior to relocating westward to San Francisco for games three and four on Saturday and Monday, respectively. It seems the earliest Stephen Curry could return would be for game five on May 14th, which is favourably scheduled before three consecutive days off, leading up to game six on May 18th.

Because Curry has never had a big hamstring injury before, it's hard to know how long he will be out. This makes people wonder if the Warriors can do well enough without the best 3-point shooter in NBA history for long enough to get him back near the end of the games. It would probably not be smart for them to count on that happening.

Kerr asserted, “We are confident that we possess the premier defense in the league, a claim substantiated over the past few months.”

However, this Golden State team is not as good as the earlier teams, especially when Curry and Draymond Green were younger and important players like Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala were key to their wins. By 2018, they also had Kevin Durant.

Right now, the Warriors were happy with the team effort led by Jimmy Butler, Buddy Hield, and Green in Game 1, where Kerr used 12 different players.

In Curry's absence, Butler will likely be the primary ball-handler on most possessions, a role he fulfilled on Tuesday. The six-time All-Star, whose arrival in a trade from Miami three months prior significantly bolstered the Warriors on both ends of the court, posted 20 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in Game 1. He had also surpassed the 20-point mark in four of the five complete games he featured in during the initial round against Houston.

“Everyone on the court is ready to compete intensely; any player entering the game is aiming to significantly impact the outcome,” explained Timberwolves guard Mike Conley. “Therefore, one must be even more acutely focused on the flow of the game, their direct opponent, and their particular habits. This is because the opposing team isn't solely relying on their primary scorers like Curry; naturally, players such as Buddy and Jimmy will exhibit greater assertiveness, but they also possess individuals capable of scoring effectively, and they might attempt to achieve this through collective team effort.”