10:03 pm | June 13, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:
OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors swingman Klay Thompson suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in Thursday night’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals, his agent, Greg Lawrence, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Thompson was hurt with 2 minutes, 22 seconds left in the quarter after he went up for a breakaway dunk and was fouled by Toronto Raptors guard Danny Green with Golden State leading 83-80. Thompson came down hard and immediately grabbed the knee while writhing on the floor in pain.
The Warriors ruled Thompson out for the rest of the game, and he left the building on crutches, much the same way Kevin Durant did after rupturing an Achilles tendon in Game 5.
Thompson left the game in the midst of another great performance in the Finals. He had 30 points in 32 minutes, going 8-for-12 from the field and pulling down five rebounds. But it wasn’t enough — the Raptors won 114-110 to finish off a 4-2 series victory and capture their first NBA championship.
“It’s amazement that we’re sitting in this position with — during the game, we have a chance to win the game and force a Game 7, go back to Toronto — you just think, ‘How? How has this group of guys put themselves in position to do it?'” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said when asked what went through his head when Thompson went down. “And then, as I said, when Klay goes down and is out for the game, it’s just sort of a, ‘You gotta be kidding me. This has to stop.’
“But it’s just — the way it’s gone, I don’t know if it’s related to five straight seasons of playing 100-plus games and just all the wear and tear, but it’s devastating.”
Moments after he was injured, Thompson got up to his feet and was taken toward the locker room with the help of Warriors big men Jonas Jerebko and Jordan Bell on either side of him.
After making it about halfway to the locker room, Thompson turned around and headed back to the floor to take his free throws. If another player had taken the free throws, Thompson wouldn’t have been allowed to return to the game.
Thompson’s re-emergence on the floor received a raucous standing ovation from the crowd inside sold-out Oracle Arena.
Thompson proceeded to knock down both free throws, giving Golden State an 85-80 lead as Warriors fans chanted “MVP! MVP!” The Warriors fouled on the ensuing possession to get him back to the locker room to be checked out by the team’s medical staff.
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Klay Thompson walks with the help of crutches and his left knee wrapped up after leaving Game 6 due to injury.
Thursday night’s scene was eerily reminiscent of the scene surrounding Durant’s injury.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers and Warriors director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini walked behind Thompson as he made his way back to the locker room, much like they did with Durant on Monday night.
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