Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson was forced to leave Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals on Thursday night after a nasty-looking collision with Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith.
Thompson appears to have avoided a major injury, but he didn’t come out of the incident unscathed.
Thompson returned to Game 1 after colliding with Smith. He was still able to play 45 minutes in the Warriors’ thrilling 124-114 series-opening overtime win. The ankle didn’t seem to bother his play, either, as he scored 24 points on 8-for-16 shooting (5-for-10 from 3-point range).
The Warriors have the most talent in the league, but a hobbled Thompson could alter the series given how important he is to Golden State because of his excellent two-way game.
Remember, Warriors forward Andre Iguodala also is injured and hasn’t played since early in the Western Conference finals against the Houston Rockets.
Depth could become an issue if Thompson’s and Iguodala’s conditions don’t improve.
