Is Stephen Curry playing tonight against Timberwolves? Latest on Warriors superstar ahead of do-or-die Game 5

The Golden State Warriors’ season is on the line, and they’ve been hit with a major blow ahead of Wednesday’s do-or-die Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Steph Curry, who was racing against the clock to recover from his hamstring injury, is ruled out.

Curry sent a scare through the hearts of all Warriors fans when he suffered a hamstring injury in Game 1 and hasn’t played since in the series. The four-time champion was initially expected to be ready for Game 5, but later revealed that he didn’t recover in time to feature.

The Warriors are trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven series after falling 117-110 in Game 4 at Chase Center on Monday. A loss on Wednesday will end their season. They are hoping to become the 14th team in league history to win a series after being down 3-1.

It’s been a puzzling season for the Warriors so far. After trading for Jimmy Butler, there was genuine optimism that they could contend for a championship. But the team fell apart, rallied back, and then fell apart all over again. Now, they are on the brink of elimination with their star guard unavailable, fighting to stay alive in the series.

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Can Jimmy Bulter & Co. step up in Steph Curry's absence?

Steph Curry’s absence leaves Warriors coach Steve Kerr with a huge challenge to select a solid lineup. Getting the balance right in Minnesota is crucial after Anthony Edwards and Co. managed to keep the Dubs’ attack relatively subdued in Monday’s 117-110 loss.

Without Steph Curry, the team shot just 43.0% and struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only eight of 27 3-pointers in the loss. Jimmy Butler, who had a quiet series by his standards, scored 14 points, matching Draymond Green’s 14. Buddy Hield added 13, Brandin Podziemski had 11, and Jonathan Kuminga erupted for a team-high 23 points.

The 37-year-old Curry stills remains the likeliest player in Kerr’s squad to create something from nothing. His presence on the court will also be a huge loss, especially after Kerr’s team failed to get a win at home to extend the series to six games.

If Golden State manages to force a Game 6, Curry would have additional time to prepare. The Warriors and Timberwolves wouldn’t face off again until Sunday, giving Curry more than 10 days to recover from his hamstring injury.