On May 11, the third game of the NBA Western Conference semifinals was held, with the Golden State Warriors facing the Minnesota Timberwolves at home. At the end of the first half, the Warriors temporarily led 42-40. However, unexpectedly, the Warriors made 0 of 5 three-pointers in the entire first half, missed a long shot, and still entered the locker room with a leading advantage. This extremely rare situation also made fans and the media sigh that "time has gone back."

According to statistics, this is the first time since the 2017 Eastern Conference semifinals that a team has led in the first half despite not hitting a three-pointer. The last time a similar situation occurred was in Game 3 of the second-round series between the Toronto Raptors and the Cavaliers in 2017. At that time, the Raptors made 0 of 9 three-pointers in the first half, but still led the Cavaliers 52-49. However, the Raptors failed to maintain their advantage and suffered a disastrous defeat of 94-115.

Similar to the Raptors that year, the Warriors also showed strong defense and impact under the basket. Although they were completely inaccurate from the outside, they still had a slight advantage in the score by relying on inside scoring, transition offense and the Timberwolves' own poor shooting.

It is worth mentioning that the three-pointer has always been the core symbol of the Warriors' tactical system. From the outside feast led by the "Splash Brothers" to Curry's repeated three-point record, the Warriors are almost tied to the three-point shooting rate. However, the outside line was completely shut down in the first half of this game, but it did not affect the situation, which also indirectly reflects the Warriors' flexibility and adjustment ability at the tactical level.

Of course, historical experience also reminds the Warriors that if they cannot regain their outside shooting touch in time, the second half of the game may still be full of uncertainties. The 2017 Raptors are a typical example - although they led at halftime, they were unable to make three-point shots and eventually suffered a reversal and a big defeat.

Whether the Warriors can continue to lead in the second half of this campaign or find their familiar three-point rhythm will be one of the key factors in determining the outcome of the game. Facing the young and energetic Timberwolves with strong defense, they must quickly find the feeling of "long-range attack" in order to control the direction of the entire series.