On Monday the Golden State Warriors anxiously awaited a pair of prognoses for two of their key players: Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney. Both players suffered injuries during the team's crucial victory in Game 2 of the Finals, Sunday night, in Toronto.
Klay and Kevon were both scheduled to receive MRIs in the Bay Area on Monday. Thompson was injured during the fourth quarter of Sunday's game, after the sharpshooting guard landed awkwardly following a three-point shot attempt. Amazingly, Klay seemed to get up and run the floor without any issues, immediately following the horrendous-looking spill:
Holy crap was that an awkward landing by Klay. Lucky he’s okay. pic.twitter.com/r20e70Kujq
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) June 3, 2019
But, unfortunately, Thompson was indeed NOT okay. After gutting it out for a couple of minutes, Klay motioned to the bench for a sub, leaving the game with 7:59 remaining in regulation. After the game, coach Steve Kerr said of Klay's potential availability for Game 3, "Klay could be half dead and he would say he would be fine." This was in reference to Thompson's claim that he would be ready to go by Wednesday's game.
Officially, Klay is being listed as "questionable," following the results of his MRI. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, there is "optimism" concerning the possibility of Thompson playing on Wednesday, as he has been diagnosed with a "mild hamstring strain." Should Klay Thompson not be able to go, Golden State will have to lean more heavily upon Steph Curry, while asking for role players – like Quinn Cook, Shaun Livingston, and Alfonzo McKinnie – to attempt to fill the void left by one of the Splash Brothers, through their combined effort.
As for Kevon Looney, his prognosis is much more grim. His MRI results revealed what is being called a "right upper body fracture of the first costal cartilage." The ribs and the sternum are connected by the costal cartilage. The severity of this injury means that Looney has likely played his final minute of the 2019 Finals. The Warriors organization officially said that the young center "will be out indefinitely."
With Looney permanently sidelined, DeMarcus Cousins will have to be able to stay out on the court longer. This means he will have to keep himself out of foul trouble and hopefully get his legs back under him as soon as possible. Golden State will need 30-plus minutes from DeMarcus on a nightly basis.
Here is the official statement released by the Warriors:
Klay Thompson & Kevon Looney injury update: pic.twitter.com/TTwO4rWEVU
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) June 4, 2019