NBA playoffs: Timberwolves dominate Warriors to level series without Curry

MINNEAPOLIS: Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a dominant 117-93 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the NBA's Western Conference semifinals on Thursday.

With Warriors' star Stephen Curry sidelined due to injury, the Timberwolves seized the opportunity to level the series 1-1 at the Target Center.

Randle was instrumental in the win, contributing 24 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds. Edwards added 20 points, five assists, and nine rebounds, while Alexander-Walker also chipped in with 20 points.

The Timberwolves' balanced effort overwhelmed the Warriors, who struggled to find their rhythm without their MVP leader.

The Warriors got off to a disastrous start, scoring just 15 points in the first quarter—their lowest first-quarter tally in the NBA playoffs since Game 6 of the 2016 Finals.

Despite a brief attempt to recover, they were unable to close the gap, with the Timberwolves outscoring them in each subsequent quarter: 27-24, 29-26, and 32-28.

Curry's absence was felt deeply, as the two-time MVP and franchise cornerstone was forced to leave Game 1 with a left hamstring injury.

Curry had contributed 13 points in just 13 minutes before appearing to clutch his hamstring and limping off the court. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged the challenge of playing without Curry.

“We have to figure out what we’re going to be able to do in this series without Steph,” Kerr said.

“So we gave a lot of people a lot of chances, and some guys really stepped up,” he added.

For the Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga was a bright spot, scoring 18 points, while Jimmy Butler added 17.

The series now heads to Game 3 on Sunday at the Chase Center in San Francisco, where the Warriors will look to rebound in front of their home crowd.