Warriors vs. Timberwolves score: Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle lead Minnesota back to West finals

The Wolves finished off their series against the Steph Curry-less Warriors on Wednesday

The Minnesota Timberwolves are headed to the Western Conference finals for a second straight season after dominating the Warriors in Game 5 and really for the bulk of this series from the moment Stephen Curry went down. Golden State tried to fight without its superstar, but was outmatched everywhere and on both ends of the floor. 

Julius Randle, who has been incredible throughout these playoffs, led the Wolves with 29 points on 13-of-18 shooting. He hit four 3-pointers and was dissecting Golden State so surgically that all Curry could do was shake his head from the bench. 

The Wolves got another balanced showing with six players, led by Randle, scoring at least 13 points. 

• Anthony Edwards (22)
• Rudy Gobert (17)
• Mike Conley (16)
• Jaden McDaniels (14)
• Donte DiVincenzo (13)

Meanwhile, the Warriors were led by Brandin Podziemski's 28 points and Jonathan Kuminga's 26. Jimmy Butler was disappointing again with 17 points on 11 shots. The stats, though not nearly enough, ended up looking OK, but Butler was indefensibly hesitant to assert himself offensively yet again. 

Minnesota will now wait on the winner of the OKC-Denver series, which the Thunder lead 3-2 entering Game 6 on Thursday. 

Timberwolves vs. Warriors scores (Minnesota wins, 4-1)

Game 1: Warriors 99, Timberwolves 88
Game 2: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 93
Game 3: Timberwolves 102, Warriors 97
Game 4: Timberwolves, 117, Warriors 110
Game 5: Timberwolves 121, Warriors 110

[May 15, 2025 at 12:22 am ET · Brad Botkin]

🚨Game 5 Final: Timberwolves 121, Warriors 110

Minnesota wins series, 4-1

The Minnesota Timberwolves are headed to the Western Conference finals for a second straight season after dominating the Warriors in Game 5 and really for the bulk of this series from the moment Stephen Curry went down. Golden State tried to fight without its superstar, but was outmatched everywhere and on both ends of the floor. 

Julius Randle, who has been incredible throughout these playoffs, led the Wolves with 29 points on 13-of-18 shooting. He hit four 3-pointers and was dissecting Golden State so surgically that all Curry could do was shake his head from the bench. 

The Wolves got another balanced showing with six players, led by Randle, scoring at least 13 points. 

• Anthony Edwards (22)
• Rudy Gobert (17)
• Mike Conley (16)
• Jaden McDaniels (14)
• Donte DiVincenzo (13)

Meanwhile, the Warriors were led by Brandin Podziemski's 28 points and Jonathan Kuminga's 26. Jimmy Butler was disappointing again with 17 points on 11 shots. The stats, though not nearly enough, ended up looking OK, but Butler was indefensibly hesitant to assert himself offensively yet again. 

Minnesota will now wait on the winner of the OKC-Denver series, which the Thunder lead 3-2 entering Game 6 on Thursday.

[May 14, 2025 at 10:50 pm ET · Brad Botkin]

Halftime: Timberwolves 62, Warriors 47

Minnesota is 24 minutes from a second straight trip to the conference finals. They are carving up the Warriors' defense behind superb halves from Julius Randle, Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert, who combined for 37 points, led by Randle's 15. Meanwhile, Conley went on a run of eight straight points and has killed the Warriors from 3. 

Minnesota closed the second quarter on a 17-5 run as the Warriors just cannot create any semblance of offense, especially with Jimmy Butler right back to his passive ways. 

Butler has taken five shots and even those five were basically forced out of him. He continues to put all the creative burden on players like Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield despite their being wholly ill-equipped to survive, let alone thrive, in such a role against this kind of defense on this kind of stage. 

It's actually laughable at this point. But Butler clearly isn't going to change his approach. And absent that, the Warriors have no chance to keep up with the Wolves, who are scoring basically at will on their end with a 61% shooting clip. Anthony Edwards hasn't even had to get going yet with six points on four shots. 

[May 14, 2025 at 9:51 pm ET · Sam Cooper]

Stephen Curry remains out for Game 5, could return for Game 6

Steph Curry injury update: Warriors star 'could play' in potential Game 6, will be re-evaluated on Saturday

Jack Maloney

[May 12, 2025 at 11:44 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Halftime: Warriors 60, Timberwolves 58

Jonathan Kuminga has 16 points off the bench, and the Warriors have a two-point halftime lead despite just seven points from Jimmy Butler in the first 24 minutes. Golden State has the advantage thanks to hitting 17 free throws (on 20 attempts) and Kuminga is 8 for 8 from the foul line.

Julius Randle's strong playoffs continue as he scored 19 first-half points. Anthony Edwards added 14 and the Wolves will try to overtake the Stephen Curry-less Warriors in the second half to take a 3-1 series lead.

[May 10, 2025 at 11:22 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

🚨Game 3 Final: Timberwolves 102, Warriors 97

The Timberwolves now have a 2-1 lead after pulling out a clutch win on the road against the Warriors. Anthony Edwards turned it on in the second half, scoring 28 of his 36 points in the last two frames, while Julius Randle was a steady force throughout the game, racking up 24 points of his own.

It nearly looked like the Wolves were going to lose this game, as the Warriors defense forced the Wolves into mistakes, and two strong performances from Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga almost carried Golden State to a win. But the game certainly changed when Draymond Green fouled out in the fourth quarter, handicapping the Warriors even further as they were already without Stephen Curry. It was always going to be an uphill battle for Golden State, and tack on Green fouling out and it took the air out of Chase Center a bit as their defensive anchor had to watch the rest of the game from the bench.

But credit the Wolves, who didn't let a poor first half hang like a cloud over their heads in the second half. Randle racked up his first career postseason triple-double, Edwards took over when his team needed him most and now Minnesota can carry a slight lead going into Game 4. 

[May 10, 2025 at 10:40 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

Anthony Edwards throws down a thunderous dunk

The Timberwolves have been sleepwalking through most of Game 3 against the Warriors, and find themselves in a small deficit after the third quarter. But Edwards, who had just eight points at halftime, is trying to ignite the Wolves offense, as he's racked up 13 points in the third frame, highlighted by this thunderous dunk over Kevon Looney.

All it took was a simple jab step to catch Jonathan Kuminga, who was guarding Edwards, on his heels and it was enough to give Edwards the green light for takeoff straight down the middle of the lane. Looney was a sitting duck under the rim and half-attempted to contest the shot, but he was doomed from the start. It got the Timberwolves bench on their feet, and we'll see if it was the spark plug needed to help Minnesota go on a run.

[May 10, 2025 at 9:49 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

Halftime: Warriors 42, Timberwolves 40

The Warriors are holding onto a slim lead, but it's going to take more than just Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga, which is all Golden State is getting out of its offense so far. Butler and Kuminga have combined to score 30 of the Warriors 42 points, and while it's been just enough to cling to a lead at halftime, it may not be enough to pull out a win tonight. But credit to Butler, who started this game scoring 11 of his 18 first-half points in the first quarter, being aggressive and setting the tone for a Warriors team that dearly misses the scoring and shot creation Steph Curry creates.

If the Warriors do win this game, it'll be because the Timberwolves didn't take advantage of a Curry-less team for a second time, which would be a massive failure on Minnesota's part. Especially when you consider the Warriors haven't made a single 3-pointer so far tonight (0-5). It marks the first time the Warriors failed to make a 3-pointer in a half of a playoff game since 2007 against the Mavericks in the first round. It's also their first time without a made 3 in the first half of a playoff game in the NBA's play-by-play era.

Julius Randle is pacing the Wolves again so far, but Anthony Edwards is off to another slow start with just eight points through two frames. We've seen him shake off poor starts before, and he'll need to do it again if the Wolves want to take a 2-1 lead.

The Warriors have kept this game close in part because of their defensive effort, which has resulted in 10 Timberwolves turnovers and an offense that has shot just 34% from the floor. We'll see if that's sustainable in the second half, or if the Wolves will figure out how to jumpstart their offense and turn in a similar result as Game 2.

[May 10, 2025 at 8:21 pm ET · Colin Ward-Henninger]

Starting lineup change for Warriors

After Quinten Post started and played just three minutes in Game 2, Steve Kerr has elected to go with Trayce Jackson-Davis as the starting center for Game 3. Jackson-Davis has been used sparingly during the postseason (and the latter half of the regular season), but was impressive with 15 points and six rebounds on 6-for-6 shooting in nearly 20 minutes in Game 2. Kerr is clearly trying to find lightning in a bottle with Steph Curry out, and Jackson-Davis provides vertical spacing and athleticism that the Warriors otherwise lack.

"He's very, very mature, very practical," Kerr said of Jackson-Davis before Game 3. "You know, when you talk to him about his role, he's always very understanding, and in the two years that he's been here, he's just shown himself to be incredibly mature and stays ready. He's done a really good job of that. Obviously he fell out of the rotation in January, probably.

"But every day, he's staying ready and playing in the low-minutes games that we have with our younger players and two-way players. Trayce is a pro."

[May 10, 2025 at 10:01 am ET · Aaron Gray]

Best bets for Saturday's Game 3

Where to watch Warriors vs. Timberwolves: TV channel, NBA playoffs live stream, Game 3 time, odds

Sam Quinn

[May 8, 2025 at 11:03 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

🚨Game 2 Final: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 93

We have a tied series. After the Golden State Warriors stunningly took Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves with barely any Stephen Curry, the Timberwolves fought back at home on Thursday to nab Game 2 and tie this thing at one game apiece before the series shifts to San Francisco this weekend. Aside from a brief comeback in the third quarter that got Golden State within seven, it was never especially close.

The Timberwolves survived an injury scare of their own in the second quarter, when Anthony Edwards sprained an ankle after Trayce Jackson-Davis fell on his foot following a blocked layup. He returned for the second half to score 20 total points, and with Julius Randle chipping in 24 of his own, the Timberwolves managed to generate enough offense to win this one comfortably. Fortunately, after a historically poor two-game shooting stretch, Minnesota made 16 of their 37 3-pointers in this one to get back on track.

The Warriors, meanwhile, are still looking for answers without Curry. The one positive they can take from Game 2? An 18-point showing from Jonathan Kuminga, who has largely fallen out of the rotation, but makes sense as needed scoring upside without Curry. The spacing gets a bit cramped given all of Golden State's shaky shooters. Curry's absence exacerbates that. But Kuminga's downhill scoring ability could give the Warriors an offensive boost when the series takes them back home.

[May 8, 2025 at 10:28 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Order restored: Minnesota back in front

Never say never in the postseason we're having, but it looks like the Timberwolves are back in control here with Stephen Curry out. The Warriors pulled within seven behind an impressive Jonathan Kuminga stretch, but now the lead is back up to 20, 85-65, at the end of the third quarter. It's the round of the comeback, so the Warriors will give it another go early in the fourth quarter, but it looks as though the Timberwolves are about to tie this thing up at one game apiece.

[May 8, 2025 at 10:14 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

We've got a game, folks

Golden State's not ready to pack it in quite yet. After trailing by as many as 22 points, the Warriors have cut the Minnesota lead down to seven at 62-55. Jimmy Butler has picked things up, but more surprising has been the reemergence of Jonathan Kuminga, who has 14 points to tie Butler for the team lead. We have a long way to go here, but at least the Warriors are putting up a fight as they chase a 2-0 series lead.

[May 8, 2025 at 10:02 pm ET · Sam Cooper]

Anthony Edwards back on floor for second half

Well, it looks like Anthony Edwards' ankle injury is not a very serious one. Edwards was back out on the floor with his Minnesota teammates and started the second half after being helped off the floor in the second quarter with what the team called a left ankle sprain. 

The Wolves had already built up a big lead with Edwards and closed the half with a 17-point advantage with their star back in the locker room. Trailing the series 1-0, Edwards and the Wolves will try to close out Game 2 and tie the series while Golden State searches for answers with Stephen Curry sidelined with his hamstring ailment.  

[May 8, 2025 at 9:41 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

HALFTIME: Timberwolves 56, Warriors 39

Well, the good news for the Minnesota Timberwolves so far in Game 2 is that they hold a sizable lead on the Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors. The bad news, obviously, is that Anthony Edwards left the game late in the second quarter due to an ankle injury suffered when Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot following a blocked layup. 

Edwards is currently questionable to return with a left ankle sprain. And as important as this game is, Minnesota's primary concern right now is the health of its best player. 

The game itself has belonged to Edwards' sidekick, Julius Randle. He leads all scorers with 16 points and added four rebounds and three assists for good measure. Randle thrived in the first round against the small Los Angeles Lakers. Draymond Green posed a different challenge this round, but at least so far tonight, Randle has done his part for Minnesota.

The Warriors, meanwhile, can't seem to get anybody going without Curry. Jonathan Kuminga is leading the way with 10 points and they're struggling to generate any offense in the paint without the threat Curry poses on the perimeter. Life without Curry has been a challenge so far, and with him out for at least a week, they're going to have to adjust to that reality for at least the time being. 

[May 8, 2025 at 9:31 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Anthony Edwards headed to locker room with ankle injury

The Warriors lost their best player to an injury in Game 1. Now, we have another scary injury situation involving Minnesota's best player in Game 2. Anthony Edwards just limped off of the floor and into the locker room in serious pain after suffering an apparent ankle injury. He's putting very little weight on that leg. The moment came when Trayce Jackson-Davis blocked Edwards at the basket and seemingly landed on his foot, and now the Timberwolves can only hope it isn't serious.

[May 8, 2025 at 9:21 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Draymond nearing suspension after another technical

Draymond Green is absolutely livid. He just got called for a dead ball technical foul for this hit on Naz Reid, and he's so mad about it that Steve Kerr had to take him out of the game to cool him down. The Warriors are already without Stephen Curry. They can't afford to lose Green, too. 

Through nine playoff games, he already has five technical fouls. A player is automatically suspended one game after seven playoff technical fouls, so Green is now two technical fouls away from sitting out a game. He's accumulated flagrant fouls this postseason as well. Two more flagrants would also lead to a suspension.

[May 8, 2025 at 9:09 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Turns out Stephen Curry is pretty important!

The Warriors don't have Stephen Curry tonight, and it's showing. It took them almost five minutes to score their first points in Game 2. They're trailing 29-15 after one quarter in Minnesota. The 3s obviously aren't falling, but we're really seeing the trickle-down effect of Curry's absence elsewhere offensively. Golden State has only four points in the paint after a quarter because Curry isn't opening things up for everyone else. Bottom line: this is what we expected out of the Warriors without Curry. Game 1 is looking like the anomaly thus far.

[May 8, 2025 at 8:56 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Moses Moody... what are you doing?

It's been a rough postseason for Moses Moody. He's shooting only 36.4% from the field. He had to be removed from the starting lineup against Houston because he gave Alperen Sengun a hiding spot defensively. The Warriors needed him to turn a corner against Minnesota, especially with Stephen Curry hurt, but he's not off to a great start. It's very difficult to airball on a fast break but that's just the kind of postseason Moody is having.

[May 8, 2025 at 5:07 pm ET · Aaron Gray]

Best bet for Thursday's Game 2

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Sam Quinn

[May 7, 2025 at 1:27 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Latest on Stephen Curry injury

Curry won't play Game 2 and he is expected to miss a week with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. Here's more:

Stephen Curry injury update: Warriors star out multiple games with hamstring strain, return timeline unclear

Brad Botkin

[May 7, 2025 at 12:19 am ET · Brad Botkin]

🚨Game 1 Final: Warriors 99, Timberwolves 88

The Golden State Warriors pulled out the opener in Minnesota despite losing Stephen Curry in the second quarter to a left hamstring strain. We still don't know how long Curry will be out, but suffice it to say, getting this win buys the Warriors some leeway in the series if Curry has to miss a few games. 

Buddy Hield, who was magical in Golden State's Game 7 win over the Rockets, continued his terrific play with 24 points and five 3-pointers, all coming in the second half. Without Curry, Golden State's offense became more and more squeezed down the stretch and Hield made a few shots that keep the Wolves, who were charging, at bay. 

The Wolves got it going a little bit in the second half, trimming a 20-point deficit to nine halfway through the fourth quarter, but they just dug themselves too big a hole with just 31 first-half points on 0-of-15 3-point shooting. 

Anthony Edwards had one point at halftime. He wound up with 23 but didn't make his first jump shot until deep in the fourth quarter. Jimmy Butler finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists but was hesitant to shoot down the stretch when Golden State was desperate for buckets without Curry. He needs to change that moving forward assuming Curry is out for bit. 

Draymond Green was superb on both sides of the ball. He came out hot and finished with 18 points and four 3-pointers as the Warriors finished the unlikeliest of NBA parlays, becoming the fourth road underdog to win Game 1 of their second round series this season. The No. 4 Pacers beat the No. 1 Cavs. The No. 4 Nuggets beat the No. 1 Thunder. The No. 3 Knicks beat the No. 2 Celtics. And now the Warriors No. 7 Warriors have beaten the No. 6 Timberwolves. 

Of course, Curry's status for the rest of the series becomes the biggest storyline coming out of this one, but for now, the Warriors bought themselves some time with a huge Game 1 win on the road. 

[May 6, 2025 at 10:56 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

More on Stephen Curry's injury

Stephen Curry injury update: Warriors star out multiple games with hamstring strain, return timeline unclear

Brad Botkin

[May 6, 2025 at 10:46 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Halftime: Warriors 44, Wolves ... 31

That is not a typo. The Minnesota Timberwolves scored 31 points in one half of basketball. And yet, it doesn't feel like they're out of it. First of all, Stephen Curry has a hamstring injury and will not return. Secondly, the Warriors were not great offensively either, shooting just 37.2% from the floor.

Things can't go worse for the Wolves offensively in the second half. They missed all 15 3s they attempt in the first 24 minutes. Anthony Edwards has one point. 

Draymond Green has a game-high 16 points for the Warriors. He and Jimmy Butler will try to keep Golden State in front and steal this Game 1 without their superstar.

[May 6, 2025 at 10:24 pm ET · Brad Botkin]

Stephen Curry out for rest of Game 1

The Warriors have lost Curry for at least the rest of Game 1 as he has reportedly suffered a left hamstring strain. Curry scored 13 points in 13 minutes before suffering the injury early in the second quarter. You can see the limp here from the Warriors superstar.

The Warriors will try to steal Game 1 behind Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. While obviously we don't know how long Curry will be out moving forward, it's terrible news for the Warriors, who looked great out of the gate in Minnesota. 

The Warriors were pushed to seven games in the first round against the Rockets. Tuesday's game is their sixth in 11 days.

[May 6, 2025 at 9:27 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Game 1 best bet

Where to watch Warriors vs. Timberwolves: TV channel, live stream, prediction, pick for NBA playoffs

Sam Quinn