The Golden State Warriors had their season come to an end Wednesday night with a 121-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals series. Once again Steph Curry had to watch from the bench as the hamstring injury he suffered in Game 1 kept him in street clothes.
Following the game, the Inside the NBA crew debated whether the Warriors would have been able to beat the Timberwolves if Curry didn't get injured. Charles Barkley had a blunt answer for that, saying without hesitation: "I do not."
Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith then jumped in to say they both thought the Warriors could have beaten the Timberwolves with a healthy Curry.
"The way that everyone was guarding Steph Curry in the playoffs made it so easy," Smith said. "The overall extension of denial, meaning 'I don’t care where the basketball is, I’m just gonna stay with Steph.' So that allows everyone else… that’s an unusual defense."
Here's that discussion:
Could Golden State have won the series with a healthy Steph Curry?
The Guys have mixed opinions 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/VDm0AfThd4
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 15, 2025
Curry didn't stay healthy and the Warriors are going home. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, will face the winner of the Nuggets-Thunder series in the Western Conference finals.
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