Following an MRI on Wednesday which verified a minor strain in his left hamstring, the Golden State Warriors anticipate being without Stephen Curry for a minimum of their forthcoming three playoff games against Minnesota.

Following his injury during the second quarter of Tuesday night's Game 1 victory, which the Warriors ultimately won 99-88, the team announced that Curry is expected to be out for at least a week; he had contributed 13 points in as many minutes before his exit, aiding Golden State in establishing a significant lead and securing home-court advantage against the Timberwolves.

"Each year, the playoffs necessitate adaptation, be it regarding the tactical approach, managing injuries, or adjusting the roster, and thus we must simply adjust," stated coach Steve Kerr. "We have encountered and overcome such challenges previously, and we are confident in our ability to do so once more."

Game 2 will be held in Minneapolis on Thursday, with the series then relocating to San Francisco for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday; the earliest Curry is expected to return to play is Game 5 on May 14, which precedes a timely three-day break before Game 6 on May 18.

Curry has never had a bad hamstring injury before, which makes it hard to know how long he will be out and if the Warriors can do well enough without the best 3-point shooter in NBA history until he comes back. It would not be smart for them to count on that, though.

Kerr asserted, "We are confident in possessing the league's premier defense, a fact substantiated over the preceding months."

However, this Golden State team is not as strong as the earlier ones, when Curry and Draymond Green were younger and important players like Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala were key to their wins. Also, by 2018, they had Kevin Durant.

Presently, the Warriors derived satisfaction from the collective endeavor spearheaded by Jimmy Butler, Buddy Hield, and Green in Game 1, where Kerr deployed a dozen different players.

Without Curry, Butler will handle the ball on most possessions, as he did on Tuesday. The six-time All-Star, acquired from Miami three months ago in a trade that bolstered the Warriors on both offense and defense, achieved 20 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in Game 1. He exceeded 20 points in four of the five full games he played in the first round against Houston.

“Everyone is engaged and actively participating. Every player entering the game is aiming to make significant contributions,” stated Timberwolves guard Mike Conley. “Consequently, you must be even more acutely focused on the game itself, your direct opponent, and their habitual actions. This is because they aren't solely concentrating on Curry. While Buddy and Jimmy will undoubtedly exhibit greater assertiveness, they possess players capable of scoring, and they might collectively endeavor to achieve this as a unit.”