Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler status updates - game 5 - Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves will play the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in game five of the Western Conference semifinals, at Target Center. Up 3-1, the Wolves have their first opportunity to close out the Warriors and move on to the conference championship for the second time in as many years.
After somehow finding a way to lose game one — after Steph Curry suffered a grade one hamstring strain in the second quarter that he has yet to return from — the Warriors have dropped three-straight to the Wolves.
We’re all dying to see the Timberwolves get back to the West Finals, but there’s no doubt Curry’s injury ruined what could have been a historically great series full of twists, turns and storylines galore. And that part sucks.
Steph Curry ruled out for game five – Timberwolves vs Warriors
Since Steph’s official diagnosis came to light, optimists have looked to game five as Curry’s earliest (plausible) return date. Hope faded, however, when the Wolves opened as massive -11.5 point favorites. If Curry is playing, that spread doesn’t exist. Late Tuesday night, the official report broke (via Anthony Slater – The Athletic): No Steph Curry for game five.
Steph Curry is out tomorrow for Game 5 in Minnesota. The Warriors officially face elimination without their star guard.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 13, 2025
Steph Curry missing another game of this series isn’t the only news Slater dropped late Tuesday. In game four, the Golden State Warriors needed Jimmy Butler to get into his time machine and pull out a star performance, in order to threaten the Wolves’ takeover of this series.
Jimmy Butler was sick in game four vs Minnesota Timberwolves…
Instead, the Warriors got arguably Butler’s the worst performance of these first four games, posting just 14 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. At times, he even looked disinterested, only totalling nine field goal attempts all night. Butler also finished game four as a -30 in 34 minutes played.
Related: What We Learned About the Timberwolves in Overpowering Game 4 Win Over Warriors
Apparently, there was a reason (or excuse) for Jimmy’s no-show. According to what Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told media on Tuesday, the former Bull – turned Wolf – turned Sixer – turned Heat – turned Warrior… was dealing with a significant illness that was NOT listed on the team’s status report before the game.
Steve Kerr called Jimmy Butler's illness yesterday "definitely impactful." He went from 26 shots in G3 to nine in G4. Kerr: "But he's feeling better and he'll be ready to go tomorrow." Steph Curry remains out but did make the trip with the team.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 14, 2025
Kerr is confident Butler is feeling much better entering game five, and Golden State expects him to be back to more of his normal self. Of course, prior to game four, they weren’t even willing to acknowledge that he had this debilitating illness in the first place.
One thing is for sure, though. We can confirm that Jimmy Butler can talk tough all he wants, but his mental toughness isn’t Michael Jordan’s. We’ll see if a now healthy Jimmy can make an impact on game five, when the Warriors need him most.
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