As the Golden State Warriors attempt to stave off the death knell of their season against the Minnesota Timberwolves, fans are holding their breath for the return of superstar guard Stephen Curry, who has been out since Game 1 of the series with a hamstring strain.
However, if the team is not able to provide some consistency behind their star, namely from players such as Jimmy Butler, the Timberwolves will almost certainly be advancing to the next round, sending the Warriors home in the process.
The Warriors need consistent scoring behind Curry to have a chance if he returns
Although Golden State was able to win Game 1 of the series, following Curry's exit from the game in the second quarter, this was primarily off the strength of their defense.
At the start of the series, it looked like a combination of Draymond Green's defensive quarterbacking skills and the Timberwolves' inability to respond to the various defensive looks the Warriors threw at them could keep the team alive long enough for Curry to return.
However, Golden State scored under 100 points in their first three games of the series: games that were very winnable with even middling offensive performances from many of their supporting cast members.
Moreover, the turnover-prone nature of their offense without one of their primary shot-creators put an additional strain on the Warriors' defense in transition that allowed Minnesota to perform offensively even when they were struggling to make shots.
Although the Warriors have the third-highest bench scoring average this playoffs, sitting only behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks, the team's primary scorers outside of Curry have not stepped up in the way they have needed to.
Butler has averaged only 21 points this series: a solid and respectable number with Curry in the lineup. However, with Curry out and the team's other scorers struggling, Butler has not been consistent enough in getting to his spots or getting to the free-throw line to be the true difference-maker for this team.
Brandin Podziemski, one of the team's most consistent scorers during the regular season, is shooting an abysmal 22.5% from the field this series.
Buddy Hield, after propelling the Warriors over the Houston Rockets with his hottest shooting stretch of the year, has cooled down and does not look like he can swing the momentum in his team's favor again.
Moses Moody, who had a long stretch of double-digit scoring just a couple months ago, has scored only six points this entire series.
While a return and monster performance from Curry, which is not even a possibility unless the Warriors can win Game 5 without him, could extend the series, it is not likely that the team is able to overcome the deficit they have built for themselves as long as the team's offensive performance continues in this way.