The Minnesota Timberwolves will host the Golden State Warriors for Game 1 of their second-round series on Tuesday. The Timberwolves will look to advance to their second consecutive Western Conference Finals appearance, while the Warriors will look to advance past the second round for the first time since 2022.
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This series, like many in the second round, is a must-watch. We will witness the veteran team in the Warriors and the young, up-and-coming Timberwolves led by their superstar, 23-year-old Anthony Edwards. This series will not disappoint, especially as these two squads have some drama.
As the series gets ready to tip off, Timberwolves veteran guard Mike Conley is eager for the challenge—particularly the showdown with four-time champion Draymond Green.
Green has built a reputation for pushing opponents’ buttons, even crossing the line at times, like when he grabbed Rudy Gobert around the neck during a heated moment between the two teams last season.
Still, Conley isn’t fazed. In fact, he’s leaning into it, describing Green’s intense antics—including the infamous chokehold—as “exciting” rather than off-putting.
“I might not have the best appreciation for the whole Jimmy thing. I wasn’t here, but I do know what it means to the city,” Conley said. “Golden State as itself, the whole entity of it, the organization and the success they have. Draymond and the whole choking people out, you got all of that going on. It’s exciting, there will be a lot of buzz. That’s what people want to see.”
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“I might not have the best appreciation for the whole Jimmy thing(smiling) I wasn’t here, but I do know what it means to the city, and golden state as itself…Draymond and the whole choking people out… it’s exciting” pic.twitter.com/OX0XfRReS8
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) May 5, 2025
Conley has had his run-ins with the Warriors throughout his career, especially as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. The veteran guard realizes that to this day, the Warriors are a force to be reckoned with.
Conley added what it will take for the T-Wolves to stop the Warriors in this series.
“It takes a lot of discipline, but I think we have the guys who athletically can match the speed they play, the physicality they play with,” Conley said about playing the Warriors. “But, we can sustain it in 24 seconds of a shot clock. We can sustain not ball-watching, staying attached to shooters, and understanding personnel… It’s going to take a lot of mental preparation for that.”
The Timberwolves are the favorites in this series and enter as the favorites for Game 1 with a -6.5 spread.
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