Stephen Curry's injury looked like disaster until Warriors rewrote NBA history

The Golden State Warriors have defied a concerning Stephen Curry hamstring injury to stunningly take Game 1 of their second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.

Curry left in the second-quarter and didn't return due to a hamstring strain, but it didn't matter as the Warriors claimed a 99-88 victory and completed NBA history in the process. It's the first time ever that all four road teams have won Game 1 of their second-round series, with Golden State following victories by the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets.

Buddy Hield delivered for the Warriors without Stephen Curry

With Curry back in the locker room, it was once again Buddy Hield who stepped up for the Warriors following his astonishing 33-point performance in Game 7 against the Houston Rockets.

Hield started the game incredibly slowly but had five threes and 22 points in the second-half, including a pair of huge threes in the fourth-quarter as the Timberwolves attempted a major comeback.

The veteran sharpshooter had a game-high 24 points, while also adding eight rebounds, three assists and finishing as a game-high +22 in 40 minutes of playing time. Hield had just as many threes as the Timberwolves did as a team, with Golden State's defense again proving the difference as they limited the hosts to 39.5% shooting from the floor and a paltry 5-of-29 (17.2%) from 3-point range.

Jimmy Butler was also a big factor for the Warriors without Curry down the stretch, going for a near triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the 6x All-Star delivered against his former team.

While Hield and Butler were big in the second-half, it was Draymond Green who proved the unlikely offensive hero for Golden State to start the game. The veteran forward had four first-half threes, helping his team to a 13-point half-time advantage after Minnesota were kept to only 11 points in the second-quarter.

Green finished the game with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 35 minutes, before Kevon Looney came to his aid in the fourth after the 35-year-old picked up his fifth foul with nearly eight minutes still to play.

The Timberwolves entered the fourth down 20 but cut the lead to nine on a couple of occasions, yet the Warriors always had an answer despite Curry's absence and Green's foul trouble. Steve Kerr went to 12 different players in the game, including Pat Spencer who was serviceable in his 11 minutes after Curry went back to the locker room.

The Warriors won the battle in Game 1, but their ability to win the war is likely to be impacted by Curry's hamstring injury as attention turns to just how much time the 2x MVP will now miss as a result.