The Minnesota Timberwolves have a golden opportunity to eliminate the Golden State Warriors tonight, with Stephen Curry remaining sidelined. The Wolves hold a significant 3-1 lead in this second-round NBA playoff series. Another victory would propel Minnesota back to the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive year.
Curry, who suffered an injury in Game 1 of the series, is out again for Wednesday`s matchup due to a strained hamstring. While there`s some talk that Golden State`s superstar could potentially return for a Game 6 if needed on Sunday, that scenario is only relevant if the Warriors manage to win Game 5 first. Should they fail to secure a victory tonight, Curry`s reported `good progress` will be inconsequential for this series.
As anticipated, the Warriors have struggled to generate consistent offense without Curry. For Minnesota, Jimmy Butler has averaged 21 points per game in the series, though he had a quieter performance in the Game 4 loss, scoring just 14 points on nine shots. Meanwhile, Minnesota`s dynamic duo of Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle have been combining for an impressive 51.6 points per game. A win in Game 5 would send them to the WCF to face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets. (The Thunder currently lead their series 3-2 and have a chance to advance on Thursday).
Timberwolves vs. Warriors: Game 5 Prediction
Frankly, I`m hesitant to trust Minnesota to finish the job without making it harder than necessary. This tendency to play down to their competition has been a theme for the Timberwolves throughout the season. They allowed the Warriors to stay within striking distance in both games in San Francisco before ultimately winning by single digits. A similar pattern occurred in the first round against the Lakers. This is the same team that blew a 24-point fourth-quarter lead against the Bucks just a month ago. While they are in a position to and should close out the series here, I don`t have faith in them doing so comfortably. The Pick: Warriors +10.5
Jasper Hawthorne