The Warriors were on the wrong side of history on Saturday against the Timberwolves.
For the first time since Steve Kerr took over as head coach in 2015, Golden State failed to hit a 3-pointer in the first half. The Warriors went 0-5 from beyond the arc in the first half of Game 3 against the Timberwolves.
In their second game this postseason without Stephen Curry, who suffered a hamstring strain in Game 1, the Warriors look to be playing a more defensive style. The first half of Game 3 was one of the lowest-scoring halves for Golden State this season, as they took a 42-40 advantage into the locker room.
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The Warriors are hoping Jimmy Butler and their role players can produce more offense in Curry's absence. The two-time MVP could be out for the rest of the series, but Golden State needs to knock down some 3-point shots to have a chance of advancing to the Western Conference finals.
Here's what to know about the Warriors sluggish start in Game 3.
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Warriors struggle from three in first half of Game 3
The Warriors went 0-5 from beyond the arc in the first half of Game 3. It was the first time they did not make a three in the first half since Steve Kerr took over as the head coach in 2015.
The Warriors appeared to change their style of play significantly in Stephen Curry's absence. Golden State is averaging 15 made threes per game this season, but they attempted only five in the first half on Saturday. With Butler as the focal point of the offense, the Warriors have tried to drive to the basket and get to the free throw line more often in Game 3.
Golden State is also leaning into its defense, which has been a theme since acquiring Butler in February. Since the trade deadline, the Warriors have had the No. 1 defensive rating in the NBA.
Stephen Curry injury update
Golden State may have to get used to playing without its 11-time All-Star. Curry has never suffered a hamstring strain before, so there's no past indicators for how he'll recover.
"This is new, and from all that I'm learning about how quickly you can get back, there has to be a healing process," he told reporters Thursday. "You can't accelerate it more than what it's telling you. So it'll be one of those, after a week, really reevaluating every day to understand when it's safe just to even think about playing, let alone how much can you push it."
ESPN's Shams Charania said before tonight's game that the earliest we could see Curry again in this series is Game 6, if everything goes perfectly.
The latest on injured Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry for ABC NBA Countdown: pic.twitter.com/deyarWATuY
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 11, 2025