The Golden State Warriors entered their second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a massive disadvantage. While the Dubs needed seven games to upset the second-seeded Houston Rockets in the first round, the Wolves were able to dispatch their first opponent, the Los Angeles Lakers, in a brief gentleman’s sweep.
So while Golden State had just one day’s rest in between their finale against Houston and their first game against Minnesota, the Wolves got five full days off to recover from their opening series. Not to mention that Minny was already the deeper roster to begin with.
Their disadvantages in depth and fatigue were only exacerbated when Stephen Curry strained his left hamstring in the first half of Game 1. Curry frequently had to carry the Warriors’ offense out of bogs in the first round against Houston. Even with Golden State jumping out to an early 14-point lead in the second quarter, the Dubs looked to be in danger without their scoring leader and offensive engine.
With Curry in the locker room, the Warriors’ offense was visibly out of sorts, even if their defense and ball movement were able to mostly stave off any serious comeback attempt from the Wolves. It was clear early in the second half that Golden State needed a bit more offensive juice on the floor, though, particularly when Jimmy Butler needed a breather.
Four minutes into the third quarter, Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr turned to Northwestern star Pat Spencer. Despite playing just 250 total minutes in the regular season, Kerr entrusted Spencer to provide some of the shooting and offensive creation that they lost when Curry went down.
In his senior season, his lone campaign with the Northwestern Wildcats, Spencer proved to be a stable hand in the backcourt. He brought that confidence and composure with him to Golden State, not only surviving in his playoff minutes but impressing.
He wasn’t perfect, but his effort and control were more than anyone could have expected from a second-year pro in his meaningful playoff run. He finished the night with four points on 2-4 shooting, including a patented running hook, along with two rebounds and two steals in just over 10 minutes on the floor. This latest performance brings him to 32 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals total in the playoffs through four qualified appearances (he played eight seconds in Game 7 against Houston).
