Nobody expected the 2025 Western Conference Semifinals to end quite like this. Honestly, when the Golden State Warriors stole Game 1 in Minneapolis, it felt like the old dynasty magic was back. But by the time Warriors vs Timberwolves Game 5 rolled around on May 14, 2025, the vibe had shifted. Heavily.
The Target Center was loud. Like, ear-splitting loud. Minnesota fans knew they were on the verge of something they hadn't felt in two decades. They weren't just watching a basketball game; they were witnessing the literal passing of the torch.
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The Night the Warriors vs Timberwolves Game 5 Ended an Era
Let’s be real for a second. The biggest story heading into this elimination game wasn't even on the court. It was the "Did Not Dress" next to Stephen Curry’s name. Seeing Steph in street clothes during a season-defining moment is just wrong. It felt wrong in the arena, and it definitely looked wrong on the box score. Without him, the Warriors were essentially trying to fight off a pack of wolves with a plastic fork.
Minnesota didn't care about the sentimentality. They smelled blood. Julius Randle, who has been a revelation for this Wolves squad since the big trade, basically lived in the paint. He finished Game 5 with 29 points. It wasn't just the scoring, though. It was the way he bullied his way to the rim, finishing through contact and making the Warriors' smaller frontcourt look, well, small.
A Brandin Podziemski Sighting
If there was a silver lining for Golden State, it was Brandin Podziemski. The kid played 39 minutes and dropped 28 points. He was hitting everything for a while—4-of-6 from deep. You could see Draymond Green screaming at him, trying to fuel that competitive fire, but even Podz’s heroics couldn't bridge the gap.
Jonathan Kuminga also showed up with 26 points, but the efficiency just wasn't there. He took 23 shots to get those points. When your primary scoring option is a developing wing rather than the greatest shooter of all time, the math just doesn't add up in the NBA playoffs.
Why the Timberwolves' Size Finally Broke Golden State
For years, the Warriors' "small ball" was the cheat code that broke the league. In this series, and specifically in Warriors vs Timberwolves Game 5, that code got patched.
Minnesota is just massive. Rudy Gobert might not put up 30 points, but his presence is a physical wall. Between Gobert and the versatile Jaden McDaniels, the Warriors' drivers were seeing ghosts by the third quarter. McDaniels is a problem. He’s 6'9" with a wingspan that seems to cover half the court. He finished the game with 13 points, but his real impact was holding Jimmy Butler (who the Warriors brought in for this exact post-season run) to a quiet 17 points on 4-of-11 shooting.
- The Rebound Gap: Minnesota didn't just win the boards; they controlled the glass.
- The Fatigue Factor: Without Steph to draw gravity, the Warriors' offense had to work twice as hard for half the results.
- The X-Factor: Naz Reid. Every time the Warriors made a tiny run, Naz would hit a contested three or get a putback dunk that just sucked the air out of the building.
The Final Score and the Fallout
The final was 121-110. It sounds closer than it actually was. Minnesota led by double digits for most of the second half. The Timberwolves won the series 4-1, advancing to the Western Conference Finals while the Warriors headed back to the Bay with a lot of uncomfortable questions to answer.
What most people get wrong about this game is thinking the Warriors just "gave up." They didn't. They fought. Draymond Green was out there diving for loose balls until the final whistle, finishing with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. But fighting hard isn't the same as having enough firepower.
What This Means for 2026
We’re sitting here in 2026 now, and looking back, Game 5 was the moment the league officially acknowledged the Timberwolves as a perennial powerhouse. Anthony Edwards only had 23 points in that specific game—low by his standards—but he controlled the tempo like a veteran. He didn't need to score 40 because the system around him worked perfectly.
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The Warriors, meanwhile, have had to face the reality that the "Core Three" era is effectively in its twilight. The Jimmy Butler experiment had its moments, especially that Game 1 win, but the lack of depth and the injury bug proved too much to overcome.
Actionable Insights for Following the Matchup:
- Watch the Paint Points: When these two teams meet now, keep an eye on the "points in the paint" stat. If Minnesota is +15 or more, the Warriors almost never win.
- Track the Steph Factor: Even in 2026, the Warriors' offensive rating drops by nearly 12 points when Curry is off the floor.
- Betting Trends: Historically, the Timberwolves have covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 home games against Golden State. They thrive on the energy of the Minneapolis crowd.
- Roster Depth: Look at the minutes played by the bench. Minnesota’s ability to stay fresh with Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is often the difference-maker in the fourth quarter.
Keep an eye on the upcoming regular-season games. The rivalry has a different edge now. It's no longer the big brother vs. little brother dynamic; it's two teams at very different stages of their life cycles, both trying to prove they still belong at the top of the West.