Preview: Dub Nation needs to fuel Warriors in Game 3 vs Timberwolves

There’s no place like home, even without Steph Curry.

Sometimes basketball isn’t about X’s and O’s. Sometimes it’s about Newton’s First Law—an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an external force. And tonight, with Steph Curry watching from the sidelines, the Warriors need 19,596 screaming fans to be that force.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: without Curry’s gravitational pull warping defensive schemes, the Warriors are conducting a different kind of physics experiment. Can sheer kinetic energy (the kind that comes from 10,000-watt crowd noise and desperate fourth-quarter stands) compensate for the absence of a two-time MVP?

Golden State Warriors vs Minnesota Timberwolves

When: May 10th, 2025 | 5:30 PM PT

TV: ABC

Radio: 95.7 The Game

The numbers tell a stark story. In Game 2’s 117-93 dominataion, Minnesota didn’t just win; they redefined what physical dominance looks like. Julius Randle bulldozed his way to 24 points on 58.8% shooting. Anthony Edwards, playing through an ankle tweak that would’ve sidelined lesser mortals, still managed 20 points. But here’s what should terrify Warriors fans: the Timberwolves’ role players smelled blood. Jaden McDaniels dropped 16 with 3 steals and 3 blocks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker? A casual 20 off the bench.

But Chase Center isn’t just any arena. It’s where physics gets personal.

Consider this: per Stat Muse the Warriors are 17-4 at home in the playoffs over the last three seasons. That’s not coincidence—it’s chemistry. The building’s acoustics, designed to trap and amplify crowd noise, create what engineers call “constructive interference.” Translation? When 19,596 people scream in unison, the sound waves don’t just add up—they multiply.

Without Curry’s surgical precision, the Warriors need something more primal. They need Jonathan Kuminga attacking downhill like he’s trying to split atoms. They need Trayce Jackson-Davis turning lobs into physics demonstrations. They need Jimmy Butler orchestrating chaos with the methodical intensity of someone who’s personally offended by defensive schemes. Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski need to be lifted by the home audience and be their best selves.

Here’s what Thursday’s film session must have revealed: Minnesota isn’t just bigger—they played hungrier in Game 2. They made the effort plays that kept the Warriors from threatening late. But Game 3 offers a different variable: desperation multiplied by familiarity. This is where Draymond Green’s infamous intensity has to keep the Dubs from letting go of the rope and falling into a 2-1 deficit.

And Butler’s greatest value might not be his scoring or his leadership. It might be his ability to make others believe they’re capable of more than they thought possible. When he told reporters that Kuminga can “play with anybody,” he wasn’t making conversation. He was planting seeds.

Tonight isn’t about proving the Warriors can win without Curry. It’s about discovering who they become when they have to. The Timberwolves are built to punish exactly what the Warriors are attempting: a youth movement in real time, a chemistry experiment with no safety net.

Edwards is coming, ankle be damned. Randle’s coming, with that bowling-ball approach to the paint. Gobert’s coming, all 7’1” of rim protection and defensive deterrence.

What’s coming for Golden State? We’re about to find out if energy, crowd noise, and years of developmental experimentation can substitute for a two-time MVP for one night. They need every ounce of energy they can muster. From Kuminga’s first drive to the final buzzer, from the upper deck to the lower bowl, from memory to possibility, it’s time to get activated Dub Nation.

This is where legends write new chapters or empires begin their descent. In the absence of their North Star, the Warriors need to become something else entirely. Something louder. Something fiercer. Something that turns Chase Center into a particle accelerator.