Warriors collapse in Game 4 without Curry; Timberwolves take 3-1 lead

Golden State's roster is in desperate need of firepower heading to Minnesota to Game 5.

It was Monday night at Chase Center. The fog rolling in couldn't hide what everyone saw clear as day—a Warriors team on life support, gasping for air without their heartbeat, Stephen Curry. I've been working this basketball beat long enough to know when a team's spirit breaks. It happened in the third quarter, when a two-point halftime lead evaporated faster than morning dew in Death Valley.

The evidence was damning, scattered across the box score like clues at a crime scene. Jonathan Kuminga was the star of the night for the Warriors in a redemptive effort that showcased why many wondered why the former #7 overall pick was getting barely any playing time in the postseason. The kid put up 23 points on 6-of-13 shooting, attacked the rim with the ferocity of a hungry lion (11-of-12 from the charity stripe). He’s an athletic marvel with a 7-foot wingspan and vertical leap that would make gravity jealous, but somehow recorded zero rebounds in 30 minutes of court time. He couldn't collect a single missed shot. Wasn’t that the criticism of him before?

Buddy Hield, three inches shorter and with half the athletic gifts, managed to grab 4 rebounds. "This is the Kuminga conundrum," my notebook reads. "Flashes of brilliance followed by statistical holes big enough to drive a team bus through." One assist, one steal, zero blocks, zero rebounds. The math doesn't add up for a player with his physical tools. But he was also the best player on the floor for the Dubs!

Jimmy Butler's case required deeper investigation. Nine field goal attempts in a pivotal playoff game without Curry? The streets whispered it was his gluteal injury from the Houston series in round one. Whatever the cause, his minus-30 plus/minus told the grim truth—the Warriors did not win the Butler minutes as was the hope. For a max contract player acquired to be the insurance policy when disaster struck, that's like finding out your umbrella has holes after the rain begins.

The shooting guard position presented another mystery. Podziemski, the sophomore still wet behind the ears, and Hield, the veteran marksman, combined for an anemic 7-of-25 from the field and 2-of-10 from downtown. That's a 28% shooting performance when the team needed firepower most. Without Curry's gravitational pull, the Warriors' offense looked more disorganized than a crime scene before the forensics team arrives.

Meanwhile, across the hardwood, Anthony Edwards was running a protection racket on Warriors defenders. Sixteen points in the third quarter alone, part of a 17-0 run that turned a competitive thriller into a cold case. His final line—30 points on 11-of-21 shooting, 6-of-11 from three—was the work of a young star announcing his arrival on the big stage. Julius Randle added 31 points, the two combining for 61 of Minnesota's 117. That's the kind of one-two punch the Warriors were supposed to have with Curry and Butler.

The Warriors' third quarter, historically their killing floor, became their own crime scene. Outscored 39-17 in those fatal twelve minutes, they looked like they were playing against ghosts; always a step behind, reaching for shadows.

Now down 3-1, the Warriors face the statistical equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack while blindfolded—only 13 teams in 275 attempts have overcome such a deficit in NBA history. That's a 4.7% chance of survival.

Wednesday night in Minneapolis could very well be the final chapter in this noir tale. Curry will be reevaluated, but expecting salvation from a hamstring injury is like waiting for rain in a drought. The dynasty that once ruled the NBA landscape with an iron fist now stands on wobbling legs, its future uncertain as fog over the Bay.

One thing's for certain—without major changes to this script, the Warriors will soon be sleeping with the fishes, dreaming of what might have been. And in this business, regrets collect like old case files, gathering dust on shelves nobody bothers to clean.

Case temporarily closed. To be continued in Minneapolis. I still believe though. I BELIEVE DAMMIT!