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The Golden State Warriors will attempt to go up 2-0 on the Minnesota Timberwolves when the two sides meet in Game 2 of their second-round series Thursday night. The Warriors took Game 1 despite superstar guard Stephen Curry leaving the contest early with a hamstring injury. Curry officially suffered a Grade 1 strain and is expected to miss about a week, which would mean a potential return would be unlikely to take place before Game 5. That makes Game 2 a massive contest for both sides. The Timberwolves are trying to become the second home team to win a game in the second round and level the series, while the Warriors must show they can adapt without their best player.

Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT

SportsLine Projection Model's top picks

  • Warriors +10.5
  • Jimmy Butler Under 38.5 points + assists + rebounds
  • Anthony Edwards Under 27.5 points

The Timberwolves have gone 12-for-76 from 3-point range over their last two games, which is the worst shooting stretch over two games in NBA playoff history. Part of the reason for this is Golden State's defense, which has been one of the best units in the league since acquiring Butler. The star forward logged 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in Game 1, but he has actually gone Under his PRA line 10 times in his last 13 games as an underdog. Despite his lofty playoff status, SportsLine's model projects Butler at 34.8 PRA Thursday. Edwards struggled mightily in the first half of Game 1 before ultimately finishing with 23 points. SportsLine's model projects him at 25.1 points in Game 2.

Curry's absence opens up two significant issues for Golden State. The Warriors are 20.6 points per 100 possessions worse with Curry off the floor in these playoffs, so scoring will be a concern even with Butler in the lineup. With Curry sidelined, Buddy Hield is the only other Golden State player shooting better than 40% from 3-point range when factoring in volume of attempts. Can the Warriors space the floor well enough so Butler can find lanes to attack the basket, a style of play he's most effective at? If Golden State can solve these two areas of concern, they should be able to hold up until Curry is able to return.

Minnesota is a 10.5-point favorite according to the latest SportsLine consensus odds, priced at -518 (wager $518 to win $100) on the money line. Golden State is a +386 (wager $100 to win $386) underdog, and the total comes in at 201.5. You can find the model's latest projections, along with expert picks for Warriors-Timberwolves, at SportsLine.

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