Klay Thompson is determined to play in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and is reportedly receiving treatment around the clock to make sure it happens.
The Golden State Warriors suffered a major scare early in Game 1 when Thompson twisted his leg awkwardly during a collision with J.R. Smith. Thompson went to the bench to be evaluated and eventually limped back to the locker room. Though he was immediately listed as questionable, Thompson was able to return a short time later. Now, Yahoo Sports is reporting that Thompson is being treated for a high left ankle sprain and still has significant bruising.
Klay Thompson had already vowed that he would play in Game 2, but initial reports of the severity of the injury made that less than certain, as reported by the Inquisitr . Losing Thompson would put the Warriors in quite a bind, as Andre Iguodala is also doubtful to play in Sunday’s Game 2.
Thompson appeared to suffer little effects of the injury for the remainder of Game 1, playing the rest of the first half after coming back, and a total of 45 minutes in the overtime win. He scored 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-10 from behind the three-point arc.
Thompson noted that the injury felt much worse the following day, though he remained upbeat about it overall.
“I’m not moving as much,” Thompson said on Saturday, via ESPN . “[I] go to bed, and it swells up. I’m optimistic.”
Sources: Warriors star Klay Thompson is dealing with high left ankle sprain and significant bruising, receiving treatment around clock with plan to play in Game 2 of Finals.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 2, 2018
Story on status of Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson ahead of Finals Game 2: https://t.co/JJN8y00yan
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 2, 2018
Thompson said he harbored a bit of resentment toward J.R. Smith about the injury. Smith undercut Thompson while trying to go for a steal.
“It’s sore. The more I watch the replay, it pissed me off,” Thompson said. “To tumble into someone’s leg like that, not intentional, sucks. He was remorseful. I’ve got to do all I can to be right for tomorrow.”
As Bleacher Report noted, Thompson is one of the most important players on the Warriors and missing a game would hurt the team significantly.
“As good as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green are, Thompson’s value to the Warriors cannot be understated,” the report noted. “He leads the team with a 43.2 percent clip from beyond the arc this postseason — and don’t forget he is a valuable defender.”
Thompson has averaged just over 20 points per game for the entire postseason, and had several key performances, including 35 points in Game 6 against the Houston Rockets.
Klay Thompson is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 2, ESPN noted.
