The official website predicts that the Timberwolves will eliminate the Warriors 4-2! Huazi Curry staged a superstar showdown Dream Chasing PK Gobert

On May 5, Beijing time, the Warriors defeated the Rockets in a tie-break to advance to the Western Conference semifinals and will face the Timberwolves. The NBA's official website previews and predictions for this series, they are more bullish on the Timberwolves, and predict that the Timberwolves will eventually eliminate the Warriors 4-2.

Key Points:

The time for Edwards has come. Over the past 12 months, Edwards has eliminated Durant, Jokic, James and Doncic in the playoffs. Will he put Curry on the list of "underdogs"?

Edwards seems to be on his way to becoming a superstar in the league, and he has proven himself capable of becoming a signature figure in the NBA. He is in the prime of his career and at a critical stage with a major breakthrough on track. It has to be said that he is not afraid of any important moment and stage, nor is he afraid of the opportunity to become a legendary hero. Instead, he embraced the challenge.

Let's wait and see. The Warriors will face a tough challenge, just like other teams have had when they tried to stop Edwards. Draymond Green, the Warriors' best defensive player, is not fast enough to limit Edwards. This requires Jimmy Butler to step up, and Butler is no slouch. He's probably one of the few players in the league who can make every goal Edwards struggle with.

Edwards shines with the single-core superstars of the past, such as Nowitzki in 2011 or Wade in 2006. However, he still has a long way to go in basketball, and Curry won't throw in the towel easily — if he does at all.

Points of interest

A possible clash between Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert. Judging by most of the first round of the playoffs, it's clear that the NBA has a more lenient approach to physical confrontation. Now comes the real test – how far the league will "turn a blind eye" when Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert are facing off on the court.

As we all know, the relationship between the two of them is not very good. There is a history to this, with the most notorious scene taking place two years ago in November, when Draymond Green grabbed Gobert and choked him. The move left Draymond Green suspended for five games and may even cost him a chance to be selected for the 2024 U.S. National Team.

Curiously, there is no clear reason why they hate each other. There's a theory that Draymond Green was jealous that Gobert was named Defensive Player of the Year four times, while he himself only won once, and that Draymond has mocked Gobert for the number of times he won in the past.

The two defenders have one thing in common – apart from Gobert's stellar offensive performance in Game 5 of the first round, they usually don't have much presence on the offensive end. So, in fact, there is no need for them to defend each other.

Each side has its own points of concern

Warriors: Kuminga's intriguing bench fate will either end there or it will continue. He played in just three games in the opening round as head coach Kerr was unhappy and switched to a three-guard lineup consisting of Curry, Hield and Podzemski.

However, in this series, the Warriors may need Kuminga's height and athleticism, as the Timberwolves have an advantage in this regard. In this case, will Kuminga be rusty, or will he be full of fighting spirit?

Timberwolves: Can Randle continue this performance? The "haze" that plagued Randle in the past playoffs may have been swept away by him. While with the Knicks, he either couldn't play due to injury or struggled after playing. Against the Lakers, he averaged 22.6 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field, while also playing well on the defensive end. So far, he's been fine with the Timberwolves, though a stellar round isn't quite proof he's redeemed himself.

So, perhaps, it is not too early to draw conclusions. To convince those who are skeptical, and even his new teammates, Randle will need to continue his good form against the Warriors. That could help him land a lucrative contract extension this summer.

Key figures

40.0 – In the first round, the Timberwolves scored 40 more points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter than the Lakers. They took the lead in the fourth quarter of all five games, and even in the fourth game, they completed the comeback and won after trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter of those five games, Naz Reed made 6 of 6 three-pointers, but the rest of the Timberwolves shot just 10 of 41 from beyond the three-point line in those 60 minutes. Still, the Timberwolves' offensive stats were excellent, and their defense was even more impressive, allowing the Lakers to score just 81 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter.

In the regular season, the Timberwolves also had the best fourth quarter (+9.2 points per 100 possessions), but in three games against the Warriors, two of the games they lost were reversed in the fourth quarter. The Warriors, on the other hand, were the sixth-best team in the fourth quarter in the first round (+17.0 points per 100 possessions).

Series schedule

G1 (May 7, 9:30): Warriors vs. Timberwolves (Timberwolves home)

G2 (May 9, 8:30 a.m.): Warriors vs. Timberwolves (Timberwolves home)

G3 (May 11, 8:30): Timberwolves vs Warriors (Warriors home)

G4 (May 13, 10 a.m.): Timberwolves vs. Warriors (Warriors home)

G5 (May 15): Warriors vs. Timberwolves (Timberwolves home), if needed

G6 (May 19): Timberwolves vs Warriors (Warriors home), if needed

G7 (May 21, 8:30): Warriors vs. Timberwolves (Timberwolves home), if needed

Predict the outcome

The Timberwolves advanced 4-2。 When the playoffs get to this stage, there's usually a pattern: the team with the best players tends to win. In this case, it's hard to argue that Edwards is the better one, even if he's going to be on the same court as Curry. There's another trend: the team with the hottest form wins. Again, the Timberwolves have the advantage in this regard. Both teams have eliminated higher-ranked seeded teams to make it here, but the Timberwolves are looking to be more impressive. With their defense, roster depth, and Edwards' excellent play, they look motivated enough to make it to the Western Conference Finals again.