The Golden State Warriors are teetering on the edge of elimination after the Minnesota Timberwolves took a 117-110 win in Game 4 after overturning a halftime deficit with a third-quarter rout of the Dubs. Suffice to say, the Warriors need their best player back in the worst way, as they look dead in the water, unable to finish the job in the past three games they've played without Stephen Curry.

Curry is currently dealing with a hamstring injury, and soft-tissue injuries are always difficult to navigate considering how prone they are to re-aggravation — which is why Draymond Green and the Warriors have to brace for the possibility that he doesn't recover fully in time.

“If he’s in the place where he can play, I’m sure he will. But we don’t need Superman. Gotta play the long game. If he can, we know he will, but there’s no pressure. We gotta figure out a way to win whether he plays or not,” Green said in his postgame presser, via 95.7 The Game on X (formerly Twitter).

Curry is already 37 years of age, so his body no longer recovers the way it did back when he was in his prime. And with the Warriors knowing how important Curry is to their short-term contending hopes (which includes the next few seasons at the very least), there's no point in rushing him back from injury when they're already in dire straits in the series to begin with.

Hamstring injuries notoriously require patience, and even if Curry were to return in Game 5, there is a huge chance that he re-aggravates the injury or, even worse, sustain an even worse injury that requires an even lengthier recovery period. In 2019, the Warriors allowed Kevin Durant to return from a calf injury during the 2019 NBA Finals and then he proceeded to tear his Achilles after a short (but impressive) cameo.

Related Golden State Warriors NewsArticle continues below
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after hitting a three-point shot against the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at Chase Center.
Stephen Curry’s massive impact on Warriors backcourt mates illustrated perfectly
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is introduced against the Houston Rockets before the start of game six of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center.
Sources: Latest Stephen Curry injury update before must-win Game 5
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts after making a three point basket against the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center.
Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards ‘challenge’ way too much for Steve Kerr, Warriors

As bleak as it might be, the Warriors will have to approach Game 5 with the mindset that Curry won't be returning, and Green is certainly embracing that mentality fully.

Warriors face toughest test of their season on the road on Wednesday

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) celebrates with forward Jimmy Butler III (10) after a play against the Houston Rockets during the fourth quarter of game four of the 2025 NBA Playoffs first round at Chase Center.
Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

With a healthy Stephen Curry, the Warriors could definitely make a case that they'd be leading the series against the Timberwolves now instead of being down 3-1. Alas, Curry went down with a hamstring injury early in Game 1 and is in grave danger of missing the entire series since.

Jimmy Butler, for all his playoff exploits in the past, was very quiet in Game 4, scoring just 13 points on 5-9 shooting. Butler has to be more aggressive, similar to the way he was in Game 3, for the Warriors to even stand a chance in Game 5 against the Timberwolves.