Klay Thompson cleared to play in Game 1 of NBA Finals, according to report
The Warriors guard is reportedly all set to play in Thursday’s Game 1 after sustaining a concussion against the Rockets.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Warriors guard Klay Thompson has been cleared to play in the NBA Finals after passing concussion tests, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. Thompson said earlier in the day that he was 99.9 percent sure he would play in Thursday's Game 1.
Thompson sustained a concussion during the fourth quarter of the Warriors' series-sealing Game 5 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. He was forced to exit the game after a pump fake of his caused Rockets forward Trevor Ariza to go flying through the air.
Ariza's right knee collided with the right side of Thompson's head, and Thompson didn't return to the floor for the rest of the game, although he was not diagnosed with a concussion until the next day. He was said to have been vomiting Wednesday night after the game.
On Saturday, following a team practice, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he expected to Thompson to be ready for Game 1 of the finals.
“He’s going through the (concussion protocol) process, but all is going well,” Kerr said, according to Spears.
On Sunday Thompson spent the team’s off day under the sun and in the stands of the O.co Coliseum watching the Oakland Athletics take on the New York Yankees, a good sign.
Also on Sunday, Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams, in an interview with 95.7 The Game, said that he expects Thompson to be healthy for the start of the finals.
“I think Klay will be ready,” Adams said, via the Mercury News. “He looks good now. He looks bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and so on, but he has to go through the protocol, and that will be soon finished. I think he’ll be there for us when the series starts, and we’ll go from there.”
He stopped experiencing headaches on Monday, according to Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports!.
Thompson this postseason is averaging 19.7 points and shooting 43 percent from behind the three-point line. The Warriors have been 2.5 points per 100 possessions better when he’s been on the court, per NBA.com.
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