Andre Iguodala Expected to Play in Warriors vs. Raptors Game 2 Despite Injury

Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala is expected to play in Game 2 of the 2019 NBA Finals on Sunday after appearing to suffer a lower left leg injury late in Thursday night's 118-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors in Game 1.

Iguodala's MRI came back clean, according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater.

Iguodala was able to remain on the court for the final moments of Thursday's game, finishing with six points, seven assists and six rebounds in 29 minutes. Afterward, he downplayed the injury.

"I'll be fine," Iguodala said after Game 1, according to Mark Medina of the Mercury News. "I'll be all right. Just bumps and bruises of the game. You can paint it as an excuse, but you have to keep going."

As long as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green remain healthy, Golden State figures to have a chance of completing the three-peat. However, Iguodala's health cannot be undervalued, as two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant (calf) has already been ruled out for Game 2. Meanwhile, DeMarcus Cousins was limited to just eight minutes in the series opener after missing more than a month with a quad injury.

As a result, the Warriors' depth is being tested—and Iguodala's presence in the rotation has become as important as ever.

The veteran averaged 34.5 minutes during a second-round victory over the Houston Rockets and 31 minutes through the first two games of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. While he has been cleared to play Sunday, it's not clear if Kerr will manage the 35-year-old's workload moving forward.

Iguodala missed six games during last year's postseason due to a left lateral leg contusion. He was also held out of Game 4 last round with a calf injury, and a 10-day layoff between series helped him recover enough to take the court Thursday.

He proved he can still be a key contributor on offense this postseason, knocking down five triples in a series-clinching victory over Houston on May 10. Even as he has endured some shooting struggles as of late, though, he is a valuable part of the team's defense. It was his defense on Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James in 2015 that earned him the Finals MVP award.