Stephen Curry leaves Game 1 vs Minnesota: What happened to the Warriors star in the NBA Playoffs?

The Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves are playing Game 1 of their Western Conference Semifinals series. In that context, Stephen Curry had to exit the court early, raising serious concern for the San Francisco team.

There were just over eight minutes left in the second quarter, and the Warriors were leading 25-20 at Target Center when the guard showed clear signs of pain and began reaching for the back of his left leg. That didn’t stop Steph from hitting a two-pointer to extend his team’s lead, but he immediately signaled to the staff, indicating something was wrong and he needed assistance.

This prompted head coach Steve Kerr to substitute him so the team’s medical staff could evaluate the injury. In the minutes that followed, Golden State continued playing, hoping for good news regarding their star player.

However, the efforts to bring back the four-time NBA champion were unsuccessful, and the Warriors made it official through their social media: “Stephen Curry (left hamstring strain) will not return to tonight’s game.”

Stephen Curry takes a shot against Mike Conley during the first quarter in Game One of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs.

Curry was having an inspired night vs Minnesota

Stephen Curry’s night was cut short by the hamstring injury. Until that moment, the guard had delivered an impressive performance on the court: he exited in the second quarter after scoring 13 of the team’s 27 points, along with one rebound and one assist in just 13 minutes.

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With Steph’s contribution, the Warriors had turned things around after trailing by two at the end of the first quarter. Even so, Curry’s absence didn’t hurt the team’s chances, as they maintained—and even extended—the lead over Minnesota, thanks largely to a strong showing from Draymond Green, who had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists by the third quarter.

Will Curry play in Game 2 vs Minnesota?

Following Stephen Curry’s early exit from Game 1 of the semifinal series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, all speculation in the coming hours will center around the point guard’s availability for the next games in the series.

After tonight’s game, the Warriors and the Timberwolves will meet again at Target Center on Thursday night. That gives Curry less than 48 hours to recover and reach the physical condition needed to compete at the highest level. If he’s unable to return by then, his next chance to help the team will come in Game 3 at Chase Center on Saturday night.