Warriors down to their last shot vs Timberwolves in Game 5

Can the Dubs escape Minnesota tonight and buy time for Steph to come back?

Let’s talk about cruel irony and desperate mathematics, Dub Nation. The Warriors (trailing 3-1) roll into Minneapolis looking like a band that’s missing its lead guitarist right before the encore. The problem? The only way to get that guitarist back on stage is to somehow nail the solo without him.

Remember when people used to talk about “Curry-less minutes” like they were discussing a brief economic recession? Now we’re staring down “Curry-less elimination games” with the kind of dread usually reserved for tax audits or family reunions with that one uncle who wants to talk crypto.

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves

Warriors trail series 1-3

WHEN: Wednesday, May 13th, 2025; 6:30pm PDT

WATCH: TNT

The Warriors aren’t just facing a team in Minnesota; they’re facing a mathematical reality that feels about as friendly as Rudy Gobert at the rim. Only 13 teams in NBA history have overcome a 3-1 deficit. The last? Denver in 2020, back when “social distancing” was something we did with our bodies instead of what the Timberwolves have been doing to Golden State’s playoff hopes.

Here’s where it gets interesting, though: Jonathan Kuminga has transformed from “promising young talent” to “please save our season” faster than you can say “dynasty in peril.” The kid has posted back-to-back 20-point playoff games, becoming the youngest Warrior to do so since Harrison Barnes was still considered a future All-Star rather than a cautionary tale about contract years.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler’s Warriors tenure has been a fascinating study in adaptation. After demolishing the Bulls and Bucks with his free-throw parade and mid-range mastery, he’s run headfirst into a Minnesota defense that seems personally motivated to make his life difficult. It’s like watching someone try to parallel park a Ferrari in a motorcycle spot – theoretically possible, but requiring the kind of precision that usually develops over more than a few weeks of practice.

But this is where championship DNA has to matter. This is where Draymond channels 2016 Game 7 (minus the suspension, please). This is where Butler reminds everyone why he’s been the boogeyman for so many playoff teams. This is where role players like Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis grow up in real-time, aging three years in 48 minutes.

The path forward isn’t complicated: survive Wednesday, survive Game 6 at Chase, and suddenly you’re staring at Game 7 with a healthy Steph Curry and the kind of momentum that makes statisticians question their life choices.

For Minnesota, closing out this series isn’t just about advancing – it’s about avoiding the nightmare scenario where a fully operational Death Star suddenly appears in Game 7. Anthony Edwards (27.3 points per game in this series) and Julius Randle (who’s added 4.6 points to his scoring average these playoffs) have been spectacular, but they’ve yet to face the ultimate test: a cornered Steph Curry with nothing to lose.

The Warriors need this win like lungs need oxygen – not just to extend their season, but to give their captain one more chance to save the ship. The irony is almost Shakespearean: to get Curry back, they must first prove they can win without him.

Game on, Minnesota. The dynasty isn’t dead until we say it’s dead.