On Sunday night, the Golden State Warriors suffered yet another defeat. The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Dubs 114-110 in their most recent game, dropping them two games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for ninth place in the Western Conference.

The Houston Rockets are now only one game behind Golden State for the 10th and final Play-In position in the West, which only serves to worsen the situation for Golden State.

Curry was substituted out by Warriors head coach Steve Kerr with just over four minutes left in the third quarter. By then, the Dubs had a 70-65 lead. But it wasn’t until there were less than seven minutes remaining in the last frame that the GOAT shooter made a comeback. With Curry sitting out, the Wolves went on an explosive run that gave them a 97-89 advantage over the visiting squad.

With their talisman back on the court, Golden State battled their way back, but in the end, Minnesota managed to hang on for a hard-fought four-point triumph.

When the Wolves mounted their comeback in the fourth quarter, Kerr was questioned by the media about his choice to sideline his best player. Looking out for Curry’s long-term health, the four-time NBA champion shot-caller disclosed that it was all part of the plan:

“We cannot simply expect to ride Steph. He has been carrying the weight of this franchise for the past 15 years, according to Kerr, as reported by Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “.. I completely disagree with your assertion that his playing 30 minutes as opposed to 32 makes a difference between a win and a loss.

It’s impossible to say at this stage whether Curry’s substitution sooner in the fourth quarter would have allowed the Warriors to win. Still, you can be certain that his presence alone would have had a big effect on the game.