By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) – The loss of Stephen Curry for a week with an injury leaves the Warriors looking to Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and a culture that built an NBA dynasty to lift them past the favored Minnesota Timberwolves in their second-round playoff series.
The team on Wednesday confirmed Curry would miss at least one week with a Grade One left hamstring strain that he suffered during the second quarter of the Warriors’ 99-88 win over the Timberwolves in Game One in Minneapolis.
The good news for the Warriors is they managed to steal home court advantage with a gritty performance to top the younger and more rested Wolves at Target Center.
Curry could possibly return for Game Five on Wednesday and if not, he would have another three full days to recover before Game Six on May 18 in San Francisco.
In the meantime the Warriors will need to replace Curry’s scoring and Butler said that would not be easy.
“Steph is our best player and the game is much easier when we’ve got him,” he said after Tuesday’s game.
The squad will now turn to Butler, their midseason acquisition also known as “Playoff Jimmy” for his ability to raise his level when the stakes are the highest.
Butler has called himself the Robin to Curry’s Batman but will now need a Robin of his own, and Buddy Hield has made a strong case for the position over the last two games.
Hield became an unlikely playoff hero in Game Seven of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets, hitting nine three-pointers and amassing 33 points in the gutsy road win.
He stayed hot in Game One on Tuesday, scoring 24 points, grabbing eight rebounds and contributing to the Warriors’ excellent defensive effort.
Green, a cornerstone of the Warriors dynasty that won titles in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022, had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists and the team will need his leadership more than ever.
Curry’s absence also opens up opportunities for the team’s role players, including unheralded guard Pat Spencer, a college lacrosse record holder who provided a spark for the Warriors off the bench on Tuesday and who is quickly becoming a fan favorite.
Game Two of the best-of-seven series is Thursday in Minneapolis.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Toby Davis)
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