The Minnesota Timberwolves are heading back to the Western Conference Finals and Julius Randle made sure of it.
Randle scored 29 points on a scorching 13-of-18 shooting night to lead the Wolves to a 121-110 win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 5, closing out the Western semifinal series 4-1. With it, Minnesota secured back-to-back trips to the conference finals, where they’ll face the winner of the Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder series.
But while Minnesota moves forward, Golden State is left picking up the pieces again.
No Steph, No Spark
The Warriors entered the series with hope after stealing Game 1 in Minnesota. But when Stephen Curry exited in the second quarter of that game with a hamstring injury, everything changed.
Golden State never recovered.
Without Curry’s leadership, shooting gravity, and playmaking, the Warriors’ offense lost its rhythm. They dropped four straight games, a rare sight for a franchise that’s defined postseason dominance for over a decade. In fact, it’s the first time the Warriors have lost four consecutive playoff games since 1972.
Rookie guard Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors in Game 5 with a career-high 28 points, while Jonathan Kuminga added 26 off the bench. But the effort came too late, and the team’s veteran core — including midseason addition Jimmy Butler struggled to find answers. Butler managed 17 points, while Buddy Hield was quiet for the third straight game.
Minnesota’s Momentum Keeps Building
The Timberwolves are peaking at the right time.
Anthony Edwards continued to shine with 22 points and 12 assists. Rudy Gobert dominated the paint with 17 points, Mike Conley ran the offense smoothly with 16 and 8, and Donte DiVincenzo added 13 off the bench. As a team, Minnesota shot a jaw-dropping 77% on two-point attempts (36-for-47), slicing through Golden State’s defense with ease.
The defining play came late in the second quarter: Jaden McDaniels pulled down a rebound, threw a full-court pass to Randle, who converted through contact for a three-point play. It gave Minnesota a 15-point lead — and the momentum to put the series to bed.
Warriors Fans Turn on Kerr Amid Collapse
As Minnesota celebrated, frustration boiled over in the Bay Area.
With Curry sidelined and Golden State struggling, fans began pointing fingers at longtime head coach Steve Kerr. Criticism swirled online, targeting his reliance on veteran-heavy rotations and his hesitance to develop younger talent throughout the season.
“This is what the Warriors look like without Steph,” one fan wrote on X. “Kerr has no backup plan.”
Even with Jimmy Butler’s arrival and a 23-8 finish to the regular season, the Warriors never looked complete without Curry. The system that once revolutionized the league is built around him — and without his movement and shot creation, everything fell apart.
What’s Next for Both Teams?
For Minnesota, the journey continues. With five potential rest days ahead depending on the outcome of Nuggets-Thunder, they’ll have time to recover and game-plan for their next challenge.
For Golden State, the offseason begins with big questions:
- Can Curry return to full strength next season at 37?
- Was this the last playoff run for this core?
- Will the front office stick with Steve Kerr — or seek a new direction?
One thing’s clear: without Stephen Curry, the Warriors aren’t the Warriors. And Minnesota took full advantage of that reality to punch their ticket to the next round.
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