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Warriors' Klay Thompson Won't Play in Game 3 vs. Raptors Due to Hamstring Injury
June 6, 2019
The Golden State Warriors will not have shooting guard Klay Thompson available for Wednesday's NBA Finals Game 3 against the Toronto Raptors.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne noted the Warriors ruled him out for the contest with a hamstring injury.
Thompson suffered the injury during Sunday's Game 2 victory, and Adrian Wojnarowski and Shelburne reported earlier Wednesday that the team preferred him to sit out and avoid further injuring it for the remainder of the series. However, Thompson was pushing to play.
Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters it was a game-time decision that will be made by the training staff and not the shooting guard.
Thompson has emerged as one of the NBA's premier 3-and-D weapons in an era where that role is arguably more important than ever. His resume features five consecutive All-Star Game appearances, three championships and two All-NBA Third Team selections.
Although the 29-year-old Los Angeles native has remained mostly durable throughout his career, never missing more than nine games in any season, he's battling injuries in the last two NBA Finals. He dealt with a high-ankle sprain last year before the hamstring strain this year.
Shaun Livingston and Quinn Cook figure to see the biggest uptick in playing time with Andre Iguodala having already taken on more responsibility during the absence of Kevin Durant.
All told, the Warriors' quest for a third consecutive NBA championship and their fourth title in the past five years has been put in danger by a rash of injuries. Further uncertainty surrounding Thompson will put even more pressure on Splash Brothers backcourt mate Stephen Curry to carry the offense.