Steph Curry Return Timeline for Timberwolves vs Warriors Playoff Series Revealed

The Minnesota Timberwolves played one of the worst playoff games of their 36 year franchise history on Tuesday night, in game one of their second round NBA Playoffs series vs the Golden State Warriors.

Anthony Edwards was sleep walking from the tip-off and the Wolves started 0-of-15 from deep, but the story of the game was Steph Curry leaving in the second quarter with a left hamstring strain, and not returning. On Wednesday morning, Curry underwent an MRI, in order to determine how severe his hamstring injury was.

Steph Curry went to the locker room after an apparent leg injury pic.twitter.com/xS3D5mW5Vo

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 7, 2025

At best, it was expected to be diagnosed as a grade one strain, which usually takes at least a few days to heal, likely longer. Worst case, it was a grade two or grade three strain that would cost the 16-year NBA veteran the rest of the second round vs Minnesota.

Steph Curry will miss multiple games vs Minnesota Timberwolves

In a turn of “good fortune” for Golden State, Steph’s imaging tests today revealed his hamstring strain to be a grade one, the best case scenario. Nonetheless, Golden State’s 3x NBA Champion, 10x All-NBA and 2x NBA MVP is expected to miss at least a week with his bad hamstring.

The Warriors expect Stephen Curry to miss at least one week with the Grade 1 left hamstring strain, sources tell ESPN. An exact return will be based on how their All-NBA guard responds to rehab with his first muscle strain. https://t.co/PWhFWz2sEQ

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 7, 2025

Looking ahead, that logically rules him out for game two (May 8), game three (May 10), game four (May 12) AND possibly game five (May 13). Let’s be real. If Steph Curry really misses the next four games of this series, it could legitimately be over by the time he is healthy enough to return.

Related: Chris Finch Puts Anthony Edwards on Blast After Timberwolves Loss

If Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors does indeed go beyond game five, game six is scheduled for five days later, on Saturday, May 17. Before he left game one, Curry had already piled up 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting (3-of-6 from 3 pt).

In just 13 minutes played, Steph finished as the Warriors’ fourth leading scorer. Without Stephen Curry on the floor, Golden State doesn’t have a legitimate high-end scoring threat.

Golden State Warriors will turn offense over to Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler may have been that at the peak of his NBA career, later on in Chicago, then in Minnesota, Philly and Miami, and no doubt Steve Kerr will ask him to take on more of a scoring role in Steph’s absence.

But the 2011 first round draft pick is now 35 years old and coming off a season where he averaged under 18 points per game for the first time since 2013-14. Does he still have that in him? We’ll start to find out, beginning Thursday night, back in Target Center for game two.

Since being traded to Golden State before the trade deadline, Jimmy has settled in quite nicely as a secondary scorer next to Curry. Now, he’ll have to go back to offensive alpha, if the Warriors are going to have a chance.

Q: "What'd you learn from this Game 1?"

JIMMY: "That Steph is our best player" 😂@JimmyButler did his 'Robin' thing with 20p, 11r, 8a to help lift the Warriors in Game 1! pic.twitter.com/k6xaTch55r

— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2025

As for the Minnesota Timberwolves, they need to take advantage of Golden State’s misfortune and dominate this series for every second that Steph Curry is forced to be in street clothes. Game one needs to look like a mirage, by the time their superstar returns… if he even does.