The absence of Stephen Curry has not prevented the Warriors (7) from playing solid defense (for the most part) in their second-round series against the Timberwolves (6).
That being said, the difference in offensive firepower between the Curry-less Warriors and the Anthony Edwards-led Wolves was impossible to overstate in Game 2 on Thursday night.
While Minnesota bounced back from a poor shooting night in the series opener by lighting Golden State up in Game 2 (they shot better than 50 percent on Thursday night, including 16-for-37 from 3), the Warriors fell into a 56-39 hole at halftime as starters Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Quinten Post, Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski shot a combined 18-for-46 from the floor.
Can Butler, Green and Hield find a way to pull out another win tonight? Or will the deep, athletic Timberwolves go up 2-1 with a road victory at Chase Center?
Wolves vs. Warriors Game 3 Betting Odds
How to Watch Timberwolves vs. Warriors Game 3
- Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Channel: ABC
Wolves vs. Warriors Game 3 Player Props
Jonathan Kuminga 5+ Rebounds (+135 at bet365) — 0.75 units
We’re rolling the dice here on a player whose minutes have been more than a bit unpredictable in the playoffs, but hear us out.
Kuminga played 26 minutes in Game 2, 16 minutes in Game 3 and 7 minutes in Game 7 of the first-round series against the Rockets. He was also inactive for four of his team’s opening-round games.
But with Curry out of the lineup, the Warriors desperate for an offensive spark wherever they can find it and Kuminga coming off an 18-point, 5-rebound night on 8-for-11 FG shooting, we expect him to once again see plenty of minutes. It helps his case for tonight that he got 13 minutes in Game 1 after Curry went down, and 26-plus in Game 2 on Thursday night.
Kuminga’s only game of the playoffs with 5 rebounds was his most recent one, but in 24 regular-season games where he logged at least 25 minutes, Kuminga averaged 5.7 boards, with at least 5 in 16 of those 24 contests.
Though assumptions about Kuminga’s playing time are more than a little risky, he nevertheless feels like a safe bet to see plenty of action tonight. If so, a five-rebound evening should be well within reach for the 6-foot-8 forward.
Timberwolves vs. Warriors Game 3 Prediction
Game 3 of this series would hardly be the first massive playoff performance of Butler’s career, as his extensive playoff resume includes leading the banged up Heat all the way to the NBA Finals back in 2023.
But carrying this version of the Warriors to a win on Saturday night over a Timberwolves team that just eliminated LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Lakers in a gentleman’s sweep feels like too much to ask, even for the 35-year-old star.
Offensively, the Wolves have laid enough eggs this postseason that I wouldn’t rule out Golden State grinding out a low-scoring win. Still, the most likely outcome tonight is the Warriors failing to keep pace for 48 minutes. For me, the biggest question in this one is when, not if, Minnesota will pull away.
So, let’s go with the Wolves to take a 2-1 lead and cover a spread that is giving Butler and Green’s playoff experience a ton of respect — arguably too much — and Golden State to go under its team total.
Remember, the Warriors finished Game 2 with just 93 points despite an 18-point night by Kuminga and a 15-point effort by Trayce Jackson-Davis.
With all due respect to those two, the Wolves should be able to stifle Golden State and win big if the Warriors are counting on Kuminga and Jackson-Davis to carry a significant portion of the scoring load in Curry’s absence.
Timberwolves vs. Warriors Game 3 Best Bets:
- Wolves -5.5 (-110 at DraftKings) — 1 unit
- Warriors Team Total Under 97.5 points (-106 at FD) — 1 unit
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