On Saturday evening, the Golden State Warriors fell behind 2-1 in their second round playoff series vs the Minnesota Timberwolves with a narrow home loss in Game 3. It was the second straight game the Warriors played without star point guard Stephen Curry, who will be out until at least Wednesday with a hamstring injury.

The Warriors did an admirable job of holding down the fort for the most part on Saturday evening but ultimately weren't able to put the ball in the basket down the stretch, which was always going to be the major concern with Curry out of the lineup.

After the game, shooting guard Buddy Hield got 100% real on why it's so difficult to replicate what Curry provides for the team.

“You're coming in thinking you gotta come in and fill his role; you’re crazy because he does so much for this team,” said Hield, per 95.7 The Game on X, formerly Twitter. “Trust me, everybody would like to do it, but believe me, he’s touched by an angel. He’s touched by God. He’s blessed. He’s Steph Curry, man.”

A rough spot for the Warriors

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) dribbles upcourt against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during game three of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center.
David Gonzales-Imagn Images
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The Warriors now find themselves in essentially a must-win spot for Game 4 on Monday night, already with the knowledge that Stephen Curry will be out of the lineup once again for that contest.

Making matters worse for head coach Steve Kerr is that his team expended a lot of energy during Saturday's Game 3, with Jimmy Butler turning in his best performance of the playoffs so far but still ultimately coming up a bit short.

It's still possible that Curry could return in this series for Game 5, although that's far from a guarantee, and hamstring injuries are certainly not something that you want to rush a player back from.

In any case, Game 4 of Warriors vs Timberwolves is slated for Monday evening, once again from the Chase Center in San Francisco. Opening tip is slated for 10:00 PM ET, and the game will be carried nationally by ESPN.