The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors are set to continue their second-round NBA playoff series tonight with Game 2. The pressure is mounting on the Timberwolves to secure a victory on their home court before the series transitions to San Francisco. Adding to the challenge for Golden State, Stephen Curry will be absent, expected to miss multiple games after suffering a Grade 1 hamstring strain in the series opener.
Anthony Edwards` performance in Game 1 saw a slow start, with just one point in the first half, yet he managed to finish as Minnesota`s leading scorer with 23 points. Following his average of 26.8 points per game in the series win against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Wolves will need him to find his rhythm earlier in the game if they hope to even the series at one game apiece. With Curry sidelined, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green collectively contributed 38 points in Game 1. However, the standout player for the Warriors was unexpectedly Buddy Hield, who was hot from beyond the arc and led the team with 24 points. The question remains whether he can consistently provide the scoring needed to compensate for Curry`s absence.
Minnesota is favored to win the series, listed at -180 odds, and four out of our six experts have predicted the Timberwolves will advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row.
Game 2 Best Bet Analysis
Buddy Hield has demonstrated inconsistency throughout the season, a common characteristic for players heavily reliant on jump shots. While he had a notable period early in the season with several high-scoring games and has performed remarkably well in Golden State`s last two outings, anticipate that the Timberwolves will have specifically designed their defensive strategy to limit his impact, now that Stephen Curry is confirmed to be out. Therefore, despite his recent form, expecting a significant drop-off in his scoring output on Thursday is reasonable.
The Pick: Buddy Hield Under 15.5 Points
Jasper Hawthorne