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Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson is battling an ankle injury that could jeopardize his availability for Game 1 of the team’s second-round series against the Houston Rockets, according to The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II.
Thompson reported Thompson sprained his ankle in the third quarter of the Warriors’ 129-110 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. The ankle “was still pretty bad” on Saturday morning.
Immediately after Game 6, Thompson was optimistic about suiting up against the Rockets on Sunday, per 95.7 The Game:
95.7 The Game @957thegame
Klay Thompson on his ankle, “it’s sore but I anticipate going fully on Sunday.” #Warriors https://t.co/XJEYWk40Jw
Compounding matters, Stephen Curry rolled his right ankle as well Friday. According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Curry was visibly limping during his postgame press conference but indicated he expects to play in Game 1.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Saturday both Thompson and Curry are considered questionable for the time being, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Logan Murdock:
Logan Murdock @loganmmurdock
Steve Kerr said both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are questionable for Game 1.
When asked about @ThompsonScribe’s report that Klay’s ankle was ‘pretty bad’ Kerr joked that reporters have better sources than he does. https://t.co/ABDTgihtUD
The Clippers gave Golden State a far tougher fight than anybody expected, which is worrying for the Warriors when the level of competition increases—such as it will in the second round.
Most concerning is Golden State’s 111.5 defensive rating in the opening round, per NBA.com. Thompson specifically will be tasked mostly with guarding James Harden or Chris Paul, so his health will be a key factor for the Warriors defense.
Nobody can touch the Warriors at full strength. Even when they’re not at their best, they possess a singular talent in Kevin Durant who can paper over whatever cracks they might have. Durant finished with 50 points in Friday’s victory.
Take one of Golden State’s key players out of the equation and the team becomes more vulnerable. The degree to which Thompson and Curry are hurt will be a dominant storyline in the second round.
from Viral News Updates http://bit.ly/2ZOPZtM
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