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After a first-round victory, the Golden State Warriors lost their legendary superstar Stephen Curry, and without him, were unable to pull off an upset against the Minnesota Timberwolves. A disappointing end to what could have been an amazing season.
Even though they finished seventh in the Western Conference and were denied a direct place in the Playoffs by losing their final regular-season game, everyone knew that the Golden State Warriors would be a tough nut to crack in the postseason. This was confirmed in the Play-In round, with a commanding victory over the Memphis Grizzlies to set up a series with the Houston Rockets - the surprise runners-up in the West.
It was a high-octane series, which the Warriors dominated at first, leading 3-1. They were then drawn into a totally unexpected Game 7, but they put their experience to good use, thwarting the Rockets and benefiting from an unexpectedly stellar performance from Buddy Hield, who scored 33 points.
Steve Kerr's men went into their Conference Semi-final against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 50/50 chance. Unfortunately, although they won Game 1 with some early momentum, they lost Steph Curry. Their leader and superstar suffered a hamstring injury, and from then on, it was not certain that he would feature again in the series.
Game 6 was put forward as a possible return date, but they still had to get there. The problem was that, without their superstar, the Warriors completely fell apart. Four games and four wins for the Wolves, without playing any exceptional basketball, but exploiting the lack of confidence and shortcomings of a Golden State team without its leader. No reaction, no soul, no leaders: the season was complicated, but looked set to end on a high. It was not to be. We will see them next year, but in what condition?
