Warriors take Game 1 despite Curry’s early exit due to injury
The Golden State Warriors took Game 1 of their Western Conference Finals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 99-88, on Wednesday, May 7 (PH time) at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Despite losing Stephen Curry early in the second quarter due to a hamstring injury, the Warriors found a way to grind out a crucial road win. Curry never returned to the game, and his status for Game 2 remains uncertain, depending on the severity of the injury.
With their superstar sidelined, the Warriors leaned on the trio of Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green to step up and deliver.
Hield finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal, providing consistent scoring throughout the contest. Butler nearly had a triple-double with 20 markers, 11 boards, eight dimes, and two deflections, leading by example on both ends of the floor. Green also rose to the occasion, ending up with 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals in a strong all-around performance.
On the other side, Anthony Edwards once again led the Timberwolves with 23 markers and 14 boards, continuing his solid postseason run. Naz Reid contributed 19 points and five rebounds off the bench, bringing energy and scoring when Minnesota needed it most.
Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels also added 18 and 12 points, respectively, but their efforts weren’t enough to turn the tide.
Minnesota held a narrow two-point edge at the end of the first period, but Golden State flipped the script in the second and third quarters. The Warriors outscored the Timberwolves with a combined 62-40 advantage in those middle frames, taking control of the game heading into the fourth. The Wolves made a late push, but only managed to trim the deficit to 11 at the final buzzer.
With the Warriors drawing first blood in the series, Game 2 is set for the same venue on Friday, May 9 (PH time), where the Timberwolves will look to bounce back and even the series.
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San Miguel Beermen made a statement in Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals, against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 107-82, on Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
CJ Perez spearheaded the charge with a near-complete performance, tallying 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in almost 35 minutes of action. His energy sparked a game-changing 17-0 run in the fourth quarter that broke the game wide open for the Beermen.
Juami Tiongson added 14 points, while June Mar Fajardo turned in another monster game with 12 markers, a game-high 19 boards, three dimes, two deflections, and a rejection.
San Miguel’s well-balanced offense saw five players score in double figures, including Jericho Cruz and Rodney Brondial with 12 apiece, and Don Trollano who chipped in 11.
Game 5 is set for Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with both powerhouse squads looking to seize control of the series and inch closer to a Finals berth.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel bounced back in style, securing a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals series with a 100-90 win over the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
RJ Abarrientos came up huge with a near triple-double performance—24 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists—leading the Gin Kings back on top after dropping Game 2.
Jamie Malonzo added 20 points with four rebounds and two assists, while Japeth Aguilar chipped in 18 markers alongside seven boards, two dimes, three steals, and two blocks in a vintage two-way showing.
Ginebra also got key contributions from Scottie Thompson and Stephen Holt. Thompson tallied 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block, while Holt recorded 10 points, seven boards, and a deflection.
For San Miguel, Don Trollano kept them in the fight with 22 points and three rebounds. JuneMar Fajardo posted a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, along with three dimes and a block.
CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz added 11 points apiece, while Juami Tiongson rounded out the Beermen’s double-digit scorers with 10.
Ginebra edged SMB 23-20 in the opening quarter, but the Beermen fought back strong in the second to take a 50-46 halftime lead. That momentum didn't last, as Ginebra responded with a commanding 25-14 third period to retake control at 71-64, then sealed the win with a 29-26 finish in the final frame.
“I’m just real proud of the guys for steadying themselves,” said head coach Tim Cone. “We figured a couple of things out. I felt we played with a really good tempo, and then RJ played tremendous down the stretch to keep them at bay.”
Game 4 is set for Wednesday, July 2, at 5:00 PM at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters broke through in their best-of-seven semi-finals series in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, taking Game 3 in dominant fashion with a 107-86 win over TNT Tropang 5G on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Anton Asistio powered the Elasto Painters with a personal playoff-high 24 points off the bench. He also tallied six assists and a rebound in just under 29 minutes of action, going 7-of-9 from the field, 4-of-5 from three-point range, and 2-of-3 from the four-point arc.
Caelan Tiongson added 16 markers, four rebounds, one assist, and a block, while Keith Datu delivered a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double performance to go with two assists and a rejection.
Leonard Santillan contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, while Andrei Caracut chipped in 10 points, four assists, and four steals, helping Rain or Shine build early momentum and keep control through most of the game.
TNT, on the other hand, struggled without RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Rey Nambatac. Calvin Oftana led the Tropa with 16 points and eight rebounds but registered a -22 plus-minus while shooting just 1-of-6 from deep. Simon Enciso and Glenn Khobuntin added 12 points each.