The Minnesota Timberwolves’ reserves expected the Golden State Warriors’ depth players to pressure them full court when Chris Finch and Steve Kerr emptied the bench in Game 2. They knew Kerr drew criticism (and praise) for pulling his starters early in Game 5 of the first round against the Houston Rockets.
Like Golden State’s starters, its depth guys are relentless. It’s part of their team identity. They whittled Houston’s lead from 29 with 5:50 left to 13, but the Rockets won and eventually forced Game 7. The Warriors advanced but had to face the rested Wolves in Round 2.
Curry suffered a Grade 1 hamstring tear in their Game 1 loss to Minnesota, and Kerr used every player but Curry in their 117-93 Game 2 loss. Golden State’s depth held its own in Game 1, allowing the Warriors to weather Stephen Curry’s hamstring injury. Then, they pushed Minnesota to the brink in Game 3.
Golden State led 82-77 with 8:16 left to play in the fourth quarter, but the Wolves went on a 9-0 run and never trailed again. “They made the game ugly,” said Chris Finch. “They did a great job of just being super physical and trying to…take it into the mud.”
Jimmy Butler bullied his way to the basket, scoring 33 points by ramming past Donte DiVincenzo and Rudy Gobert. When the Wolves tightened their defense on Butler, Jonathan Kuminga tapped into his freak athleticism and scored 30 points off the bench.
Finch suggested that Edwards’ poster dunk over Kevon Looney catalyzed his scoring. However, Edwards said Kuminga’s dunk over him in the third lit a fire in him. Edwards only had eight points in the first half but finished with 36.
“I felt like when Kuminga dunked on me,” he said, “it got me going.”
Kerr didn’t hide his intentions before the game. Even with Playoff Jimmy and Buddy Hield shooting well, nobody can replicate Curry’s offensive impact.
“You can’t suddenly install a new offense in one day,” he said. “It’s not really about play calls. It’s about playing with pace and energy, playing through Jimmy. Having the correct spacing and then getting stops. We have to win this game with our defense.”
Absent Curry, the Warriors are throwing everything they can at Minnesota. Unlike JJ Redick, who only used five players in the second half of a crucial Game 4, Kerr is trying to leverage Golden State’s strength in numbers.
Finch has maintained an eight-man rotation, while Kerr went ten deep. Without Curry as his scoring firehose, Kerr has sliced open the fire hydrant, forcing the Wolves to deal with Golden State’s water pressure. The Warriors defend relentlessly, Butler forces his way to the basket, and Kuminga attacks the rim.
The Wolves must shut off Golden State’s water as soon as possible. They didn’t take advantage of Curry’s absence and the Warriors playing on 48 hours’ rest in Game 1 after Houston took them to Game 7. Edwards suffered an ankle injury in Game 2 that had Finch concerned. Minnesota won that game, but they probably would have liked to have gotten Edwards off the floor sooner. After winning Game 3, they’ve gotta get out of this series before Curry returns.
“Y’all trying to get to a Game 6,” Edwards told Gary Payton II, “and get Wardell back.”
“That is the plan,” Payton responded with a chuckle. “That’s the plan.”
There are no secrets in this series. Finch will ride Edwards, Randle, and Minnesota’s eight-man rotation to ward off Golden State’s army of players. The Warriors will keep sending pressure at the Wolves, trying to spring someone loose.
The Timberwolves must turn off Golden State’s water before Curry returns. Otherwise, he may create a flood that wipes away Minnesota’s yeoman effort to wrestle Game 3 away from the Warriors. The Wolves are in a race against time. They’ve got to muster all their strength to shut off the valve so they can return to the Western Conference Finals.