'He's our leader': Without Steph Curry, the Warriors look to Draymond Green - ESPN

STEPHEN CURRY HAD just found Draymond Green open on the wing for a 3-pointer, giving the Golden State Warriors a 30-20 lead Tuesday night in the second quarter of Game 1 and forcing the Minnesota Timberwolves to call a timeout.

Before heading back to the huddle, Green turned to find Curry on the other side of the court, laboring to move. Green had not seen Curry strain his hamstring on a drive moments earlier and went to check on his longtime teammate.

«I'll be back,» Curry told Green as the point guard walked gingerly toward the tunnel and into the locker room.

Curry never returned.

With the franchise superstar icing his hamstring in the visitors locker room, Green grabbed a rebound on the ensuing possession and immediately pushed the ball up the floor. Seconds later, he drilled another 3 from the top of the key.

The signature «Booooooom!» that he or his teammates often shout after a Green 3-pointer could be heard as the Target Center was silenced. Less than a minute later, Green buried his fourth 3-pointer to push the Warriors up by 14 points over the Wolves with seven minutes left in the second quarter. Despite Curry's absence, the Warriors' lead grew to as many as 23 points in the third, leading to a 99-88 win to give Golden State the early advantage in the series.

At a moment when the Warriors could have been paralyzed without their superstar shooter, Green pumped life into the team. In addition to anchoring a defense that forced Anthony Edwards into missing his first 10 shots and held Minnesota to 88 points — only the second time this season Minnesota failed to score 90 — Green helped Jimmy Butler orchestrate the offense with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists to capture Game 1. Green's four 3-pointers were