Kerr: Warriors 'could have gone the distance' if Curry healthy - ESPN

MINNEAPOLIS — As the Target Center roared for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the last minute of Game 5 on Wednesday night, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr took Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green out for the final time this season.

Kerr hugged both of his stars and shared some words with each seconds before Golden State's season came to an end with a 121-110 loss in the Western Conference semifinals.

Without the injured Stephen Curry, the Warriors were no match for the Wolves, losing four straight after taking Game 1.

While the Warriors did not want to make any excuses and repeatedly praised Minnesota, Kerr was asked whether he will look back on this postseason and wonder about what Golden State could have done had Curry not suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1.

«I don't even have to think what [if],» Kerr said. «I know we had a shot. I know we could have gone the distance.

»Maybe we wouldn't have, but it doesn't matter. Again, everything in the playoffs is about who stays healthy and who gets hot. Are you playing well at the right time?"

The Warriors were playing some of their best basketball before Curry was injured. They had just survived a physical first-round matchup, upsetting the second-seeded Rockets by winning Game 7 in Houston. Their confidence was high.

And when Curry went down and left the Wolves series for good with 8:19 to go in the second quarter of Game 1, the Warriors were up 10 and would go on to lead by 23 in the third quarter before winning that opening game. Curry was getting into a groove, having scored 13 points in 12 minutes.

Curry, 37, called his injury a «gut punch» considering how well the Warriors were playing and the potential they had for a deep run while also not knowing how