Anthony Edwards averaged 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the first round win over the Lakers.
For only the second time since winning the 2022 NBA championship, the Warriors have advanced to the Western Conference semifinals. While many teams would crave that sort of “dry spell,” for the Warriors in the Stephen Curry era, this seems like a victory.
That’s because the Warriors as currently constructed are Curry’s best — and maybe last — chance of at least reaching the conference finals. It’s all due to the addition of Jimmy Butler, who was as advertised in the first-round victory over the Rockets, especially after he returned from a one-game absence due to injury.
The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are trying to establish themselves as a perennial West powerhouse. They took such a step last season by reaching the conference finals, and now look to make a return trip after an impressive first-round romp against the Lakers.
Both of these teams arrived the hard way; the Warriors survived the SoFi Play-In Tournament, while the Wolves needed a late-season surge to avoid the Play-In and snatch the No. 6 seed. All the same, these two are peaking at the right time, and this series has a chance of going the seven-game limit because of that.
Series schedule
Here’s how to watch the Timberwolves vs. Warriors series:
All times Eastern Standard Time
- Game 1: Warriors at Timberwolves (Tue. May 6, 9:30 ET, TNT)
- Game 2: Warriors at Timberwolves (Thu. May 8, 8:30 ET, TNT)
- Game 3: Timberwolves at Warriors (Sat. May 10, 8:30 ET, ABC)
- Game 4: Timberwolves at Warriors (Mon. May 12, 10 ET, ESPN)
- Game 5: Warriors at Timberwolves (Wed. May 14, TBD, TNT)*
- Game 6: Timberwolves at Warriors (Sun. May 18, TBD, TBD)*
- Game 7: Warriors at Timberwolves (Tue. May 20, 8:30 ET, ESPN)*
* = If necessary
Top storyline
This is Ant’s time. Over the last 12 months, Edwards has erased Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokić, LeBron James and Luka Dončić from the postseason. Will he add Curry’s pelt as well?
Edwards appears to be on a star hunt as he makes his case for being the face of the NBA. He’s at the right age and the right stage of his career for a major takeover. Give him this: He’s not scared of the moment or the stage or the chance to be a folk hero. If anything, he embraces the challenge.
So we’ll see. The Warriors will have their hands full, just as those others did when they failed to stop Ant. Their best defender, Draymond Green, isn’t quick enough. It’ll be up to Jimmy Butler, certainly no slouch. He’s probably among only a handful of NBA players who can make Ant work for every bucket.
Edwards has the shine of other solo stars of the past — 2011 Dirk Nowitzki comes to mind, or 2006 Dwyane Wade. There’s a lot more road to travel from here, however, and Steph won’t surrender easily — if at all.
Keep your eyes on
The potential drama between Draymond and Rudy. The NBA evidently is being lenient about physical play, as we’ve seen through much of the first round of these playoffs. Now comes the real test — how much it looks the other way with Draymond and Rudy Gobert.
As you know, they’re not on each other’s Christmas card list. There’s a history here; the most infamous moment was when Draymond grabbed Gobert two Novembers ago and put him in a headlock. That earned Draymond a five-game suspension and possibly cost him a chance to be placed on 2024 Team USA roster as well.
Strangely, there’s no stated reason why they dislike each other. The theory is Draymond is jealous over Gobert’s four Kia Defensive Player of the Year awards; Draymond, who has one, has mocked the number of Gobert’s awards in the past.
Here’s something else these two defensive aces have in common — they’re usually invisible on the offensive end, aside from Gobert’s massive Game 5 in the first round. So there’s no need to guard each other, really.
1 more thing to watch for each team
For the Warriors: The intriguing benching of Jonathan Kuminga will either come to a halt, or continue. He played only three games in the first round because coach Steve Kerr became exasperated and went with the three-guard approach of Curry, Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski instead.
In this situation, however, the Warriors might need Kuminga’s length and athleticism because the Wolves have that going for them. Will Kuminga be rusty, or motivated, in such a situation?
For the Timberwolves: Can Julius Randle keep this up? All the ghosts of past postseasons have perhaps been exorcised by Randle, who either was too injured to play or struggled when he did with the Knicks. He averaged 22.6 points on 48% shooting with decent defense against the Lakers. So far, so good in Minnesota, even if one impressive round doesn’t scream total redemption.
So maybe the jury’s still out. In order to satisfy those skeptics and even his new teammates, Randle needs some carryover against the Warriors. It could help him land a rich contract extension this summer.
Wolves’ supporting cast delivers to close out Lakers in Game 5
1 key number to know
40.0 — In the first round, the Wolves outscored the Lakers by 40.0 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter. They won the fourth quarter in all five games, coming back from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win Game 4.
Naz Reid shot 6-for-6 on fourth-quarter 3s over the five games, but all other Wolves shot just 10-for-41 from beyond the arc over those 60 minutes. Still, the offensive numbers were strong and the defense was incredible, holding L.A. to just 81 points per 100 possessions in the fourth period.
The Wolves were also at their best (plus-9.2 per 100 possessions) in the fourth quarter in the regular season, but lost fourth-quarter leads in two of their three losses to the Warriors, who were the sixth best fourth-quarter team (plus-17.0 per 100) in the first round.
— John Schuhmann
The pick
Timberwolves in six. When the playoffs reach this stage, there’s a formula that often rings true: The team with the best player wins. In this case, it’s hard to argue against Edwards, even when he’s sharing the floor with Curry. There’s also another trend: The hottest team wins. Again, advantage Timberwolves. Both teams beat higher seeds to arrive here, but the Wolves looked more impressive. And with their defense, depth and Ant, they look amped enough to return to the conference finals.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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