Without Stephen Curry, the Warriors are a different team; One that is constantly getting ‘outmanned’ by the Timberwolves. In Game 4 of the series, Golden State completely lacked a consistent scoring threat that could match Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle’s level. Their lineup beyond Jonathan Kuminga has been too inconsistent, and the team now looks like it is running on just fumes, rather than getting fueled by motivation. As they head into Game 5 at the Target Center on Wednesday, it’s clear: The gap between these two teams is growing, and without Curry, the Warriors are searching for answers they might not find in time…

Golden State could become the 14th team in NBA history to make a comeback from a 3-1 playoff series deficit if Curry returns for the next game. However, that most likely won’t happen as the player is expected to return only by Game 6. Their schedule has an unusual three-day gap after Game 5, but his comeback will depend on whether his hamstring injury has healed by then. As Draymond Green has already stated, “If he’s in a place where he can play. We don’t need Superman. If he can, but there’s no pressure.” But is it really Curry’s absence that is the problem, or is there something much deeper that they need to address?

Most GSW fans would say it’s the latter. And they are right. The team needed its players to step up in Curry’s absence. Instead, Brandin Podziemski is 9-for-40 (22.5%) from the field in the series, Gary Payton II has been largely ineffective, and Moses Moody and Quinten Post have fallen out of the rotation. That sounds bad! No wonder ‘Steph’ took it upon himself to deliver a strong message to his team. So, instead of Steve Kerr talking, Curry entered the huddle to send a passionate message to his teammates.

The four-time champion wanted to inspire his teammates and ignite their desire once again. “We need to have the same energy and body language we do when we win here. Lets go on a run here. We can do this,” he could be caught saying on ESPN’s broadcast. That inspiration was exactly what the Warriors needed in Game 4. They began the third quarter with a small lead. The game, too, seemed to be going back and forth. But the matchup flipped on its head in the final eight minutes. Anthony Edwards awakened his takeover mode, and the Wolves‘ defense followed suit.

They went on a 29-9 run, blowing up the game within a matter of minutes. Ant-Man added 14 points in the quarter to take his tally up to 30. Julius Randle’s strong showing throughout the series was also a contributing factor. As for the Warriors, only recently out of the rotation, Jonathan Kuminga seemed to find success against the Wolves.

via Imago

He currently leads the Warriors in scoring with his second straight 20+ point game. But with Stephen Curry galvanizing his teammates, it’s vital for the Warriors to compete. Or at least try. The Timberwolves sparked one run to establish their dominance. That’s just how far away the Warriors are from getting back in the game. But that’s not possible with only Kuminga producing on offense. Can they find some consistency and pile the pressure on the Timberwolves?

Stephen Curry’s Warriors throw in the towel!

As it happened, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ defense didn’t allow the Warriors to make any run. Aside from Kuminga, the Bay just didn’t find any other scoring outlet that could punish the Wolves’ defense. Notably, Jimmy Butler had shown in Game 3 that the Warriors came close to potentially taking the lead in the series. But he couldn’t follow his 33 points and seven assists performance tonight.

Butler only attempted nine shots through the game, scoring a measly 14 points. In addition, neither Buddy Hield nor Brandin Podziemski could generate any sort of rhythm, being hounded by the athletic wing defenders the Timberwolves possess. Since Game 1, this series has looked to be a mismatch without Stephen Curry’s presence. However, the Warriors can’t afford to lose hope. A loss tonight doesn’t bode well for Curry’s recovery. There might be a slight chance that he suits up for Game 6 and performs to his best capabilities to give the Warriors a chance. But also comes with a major risk.

After all, this is the first time Curry has suffered a hamstring-related injury in his career.

According to Shams Charania, it’s exactly why he needs to be cautious given his age. “I think the next step is trying to get him to the point where he can run fully, sprint fully, cut fully, and take contact fully. Until you get to that point, there’s not like a safe way to bring him back from a hamstring injury,” the insider revealed on the Pat McAfee Show.

Looking at the scoreline, the Warriors might also decide not to load up Curry unless he can move and operate freely without carrying any major risk of aggravating the injury. But no matter what the situation, this is now do-or-die for the Warriors. With one last stretch remaining with their core and Jimmy Butler, they will have to claw their way up for a Game 5 win.

If Curry does sit out, do you think the Warriors can give him a chance to compete? Let us know your views in the comments below.