1-4 Warriors are out! Butler is no longer magical, Cole pays for his arrogance, and 2 people become fig leaf

On May 15, 2025, the NBA playoffs were in full swing, and two games were arranged on that day. The Celtics united as the core of Tatum, who was reimbursed for the season, defeated the Knicks at home 127:102, continuing the series to Game 6. The Warriors challenged the Timberwolves away, and the core Curry continued to miss due to a hamstring strain. In this game, the team has tried their best to get out if they lose. However, in the end, Butler is no longer magical, with only two players having highlights. After four quarters of fierce competition, the Warriors lost to the Timberwolves 110:121 away and were eliminated with a score of 1:4. Cole finally paid the price for his arrogance.

The Warriors fell into a passive position in the first quarter, losing 7 points in a single quarter at 23:30, and still did not improve much in the offense and defense ends in the second quarter, losing 8 points in 24:32. After the third quarter, the Warriors still couldn't find their offensive and defensive form. There was a clear gap in the team's strength between the two teams. Without Curry, they still couldn't defeat the Timberwolves, and the score difference once widened to more than 20 points. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors once reached an offensive climax at the moment of life and death, narrowing the gap to only 11 points, but ultimately failed. Although they won 10 points in a single quarter, they still lost the game 110:121. In terms of basic data, the Warriors rebounded 40:39, and the two teams were comparable. Assisted 21:36, steals 14:11, blocks 1:4, turnovers 17:20, free throws 21:13, scored 11:13, fouls 21:19, shooting percentage 43% to 63%, free throw percentage 70% to 67%, and three-point shooting percentage 28% to 42%. It can be seen that the Warriors' shooting efficiency in this game is a world of difference with the Timberwolves. After losing Curry, they also lost the initiator of the offensive and a reliable pitcher on the outside. Butler was unable to support himself, lost his former halo and returned to mediocrity. After this game, the Warriors had two people becoming the only fig leaf.

The Warriors' core core Curry was absent, but Butler was unable to support him. He played for 41 minutes in the game, made 4 of 11 shots, 0 of 3 three-pointers, and 9 of 11 free throws. The referee also gave him enough face, but he scored 17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in the game, with a plus-negative value of -17, the lowest in the game. Butler was known for his toughness in the playoffs. Every time he was in the life and death moment, he could stand up and play violent personal offensive and defensive performances, leading the team to achieve good results. But Butler, who is 35 years old, obviously lost his physical advantage. Without Curry, he was destined to have a very good result.

The Warriors' Podjsky and Kumingga performed normally in this game. The two performed perfectly, becoming a fig leaf for the Warriors in this game. Podjsky played for 38 minutes in the game, made 11 of 19 shots, 4 of 6 layups, and 2 of 5 free throws, scoring 28 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. When he performed poorly in the previous few games, he stood up in this life-and-death battle, with high offensive efficiency and also caused great damage to his opponent. But the help from other players on the team is limited.

Kuminga played 32 minutes in this game, made 11 of 23 shots, made 3 of 9 three-pointers, and made 1 of 3 free throws, scoring 26 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. In this game, Kumingga tried his best and was very efficient on the offensive end. He only got a chance after Curry was injured in the entire series. However, he could make stable scoring contributions in every game, and his physical fitness was enough to match the opponent's offensive and defensive strength. Coach Cole abandoned him directly at the end of the regular season. It is said that in one game, he fought for Curry's ball rights, which made Cole extremely angry.

In the first round series against the Rockets, Coach Cole almost didn't give him any chance, which also caused Curry to play too long and consume too much, which made him strain his hamstring in the first game against the Timberwolves. Since then, Coach Cole has finally paid the price for his arrogance. If he can give Kuminga more playing time, Kuminga can indeed provide a lot of help to the team. In this way, Curry can reduce fatigue and may not suffer such injuries, so that he can continue to help the team compete. After the Warriors were eliminated in shame, their future for next season is still shrouded in haze. After all, Butler, Green and Curry's main lineup is one year older. Coach Cole is not optimistic about Kumingga, who is facing renewal and is likely to leave. On the contrary, the Timberwolves finally made it to the Western Conference Finals with the concerted performance of the whole team. In this game, six players in the team scored in double digits. The core Edwards scored 22 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists, made 8 of 15 shots, with a very high shooting percentage, and 5 three-pointers were scored. Edwards is becoming more mature and has performed well in both personal offense and organization.

Randall played for 42 minutes, made 13 of 18 shots, efficiently scoring 29 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. After joining the Timberwolves, he has a new look and has performed well in every game in the playoffs, which is completely different from when he was with the Knicks before. Gobert contributed 17 points and 8 rebounds, Conley scored 16 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. He finally made a brilliant performance in this game. McDaniels scored 14 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists, and had excellent performances on both offense and defense, and there were 4 steals. Divincenzo contributed 13 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists on the bench, and also had 4 steals. The two players provided great help to the team on the defensive end, with Reed scoring 8 points and 4 rebounds. The Timberwolves' strength has not changed much compared to last season, but the tenacity shown by the team has improved greatly compared to last season. In the Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves still have the power to fight against the winners of the Thunder or the Nuggets.