Golden State Warriors vs Minnesota Timberwolves

Warriors Look to Bounce Back in Game 4 After Timberwolves Take Series Lead

The Golden State Warriors find themselves in a must-win situation after dropping Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With the series now 2-1 in Minnesota’s favor, the Warriors will fight to even the score in Tuesday’s Game 4—while the Timberwolves aim to push them to the brink with a commanding 3-1 lead heading home.

Golden State entered this series with little rest after a grueling seven-game battle against the Houston Rockets. Despite fatigue, they stole Game 1 on May 7—but suffered a major setback when Steph Curry exited early with an injury after just nine minutes. His absence has been costly, with the Warriors losing the next two games.

Curry isn’t expected back for at least another week, meaning Golden State must win Game 4 to keep the series alive and force a decisive Game 5 at Chase Center—where they hope their superstar could return.

In Game 3, Jimmy Butler (33 points) and Jonathan Kuminga (30 points) delivered big performances, but it wasn’t enough in a back-and-forth thriller. The Warriors, who haven’t lost three straight since December, must dig deep to avoid falling into a near-insurmountable 3-1 hole—a deficit few teams overcome in playoff history.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves—who reached last season’s Western Conference Finals before falling to Dallas—have silenced doubters after trading Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle. After eliminating the Lakers in Round 1, they’re now halfway to another deep playoff run following Sunday’s gritty 102-97 win.

Following a dismal first half that saw only eight points scored, Anthony Edwards ignited in the second half, finishing with 36 points on 13-of-28 shooting to propel his team to a commanding win in San Francisco.

Continuing his strong play from the first round against his old squad, Randle has kept up his stellar form for the Timberwolves, posting a franchise-record triple-double in Saturday’s victory with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists.

The Timberwolves have stifled opponents, holding them under 100 points in each of their past four games, bringing their playoff defensive average to 98.9—a key asset for teams with title ambitions.

Still, Tuesday’s visitors need to sharpen their attack, as their current playoff scoring average of 105.5 points per game trails their regular-season mark of 114.3 by 8.8, marking the fourth-largest offensive decline among remaining postseason teams.

Tuesday’s clash could decide the series’ momentum—will the Warriors survive without Curry, or will Minnesota take control?