Latest Steph Curry news puts pressure on Jimmy Butler

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry with forward Jimmy Butler. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Latest Steph Curry news could put Warriors' championship hopes on Jimmy Butler's shoulders

By Clark Dalton | Last updated May 7, 2025 7:21 PM ET

Without star guard Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors may need forward Jimmy Butler to transform into "Playoff Jimmy" once again.

The Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 99-88 on the road in Game 1 of their second-round series on Tuesday night, but Curry exited in the second quarter. He scored 13 points in 13 minutes before suffering his injury.

On Wednesday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported the 37-year-old guard suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. Per Charania, it's the first muscle strain of Curry's career, so his timetable remains unclear, but he's expected to miss at least a week.

The Warriors expect Stephen Curry to miss at least one week with the Grade 1 left hamstring strain, sources tell ESPN. An exact return will be based on how their All-NBA guard responds to rehab with his first muscle strain. https://t.co/PWhFWz2sEQ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 7, 2025

Through his first eight playoff games, Curry has averaged 22.6 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 5.1 assists per game. He has also shot 47.7% from the field. To replace the four-time champion, the Warriors should lean heavily on Butler.

Butler, who has eight playoff games with 40-plus points, hasn't been the Warriors' No. 1 option this postseason.

In his first seven playoff games, Butler has averaged 18.6 PPG. That's a dip compared to last postseason when he logged 26.9 PPG in 22 games with the Miami Heat.

After scoring 20 points in Game 1 against Minnesota, he said he's ready to assume Curry's role.

"I guess it's going to be my job to draw a little more attention," Butler told the media. "Probably not as much as Steph does draw, but I've gotta find a way to score and get everyone else involved."

Curry's absence could still flip the momentum toward the Timberwolves. As of Wednesday, FanDuel Sportsbook favors Minnesota to win the series at -210.

Butler, however, led the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023. His track record gives Warriors forward Draymond Green comfort heading into Game 2 in Minnesota on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

"We know what Jimmy's capable of, Jimmy's capable of carrying a team, he carried a team to the finals twice," Green told the media. "We know we got a guy who can make the first domino fall in Jimmy."

If "Playoff Jimmy" makes that first domino fall, the Warriors may fend off Minnesota until Curry returns.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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