The Golden State Warriors didn’t look like the same team in Game 2 with Stephen Curry sidelined with an injury. If you were hoping he’d be back in the lineup for Saturday’s Game 3, I have some bad news for you.
Curry will be sidelined until Game 6 at the earliest, meaning he is OUT for tonight’s Game 3.
As a result, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Warriors set as 5.5-point underdogs and +180 on the moneyline on Saturday night, despite playing on their home court. +180 odds give them a 35.71% implied probability that they’ll win the game without Curry and take a 2-1 series lead.
The Warriors’ best chance with Curry sidelined is to bank on Jimmy Butler taking over like we’ve seen him do in playoff games throughout his career.
With Curry out, it’s time for Butler to step up. We’ve seen Playoff Jimmy show up in big moments in the postseason in the past, so the Warriors would love for him to turn back the clock and bring out that version of himself on Saturday. He reached 23+ points three times in the first round series against the Warriors, and I’m willing to bet on him reaching that mark again in Game 3 against the Timberwolves.