OAKLAND, Calif. — For a fourth straight year, the Warriors and Cavaliers are engaged in the Finals, trying to remove each other’s spleens and heart valves in the name of competitive fun. You wouldn’t want to miss it for anything. Two guys haven’t.
One of those guys, though, will play in pain to keep that streak going Sunday in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Golden State’s Klay Thompson suffered a high left ankle sprain in Game 1 that has made his joint sore, stiff and swollen.
“My ankle is just sore. It’s stiff at the moment, but I’m going to do what I can in these next 24 hours or so to loosen it up as much as possible. Get some stability back,” Thompson said Saturday. “I’m optimistic for tomorrow. That’s the hard part of the game we all have to endure.
“It’s not good, but I’m going to do what I can to get out there. It’s something you definitely don’t want to have in the NBA championship.”
As the heavyweight teams prepare to continue Round 4 of their rivalry, only Thompson and the Cavs’ LeBron James can say they played in all of their team’s playoff games in this four-year stretch. Thompson has played in all of Golden State’s 80 games in the four postseason runs to the Finals; James has been in all 78 for the Cavs.
But when Thompson dropped and slapped the floor in pain Thursday after Cleveland’s J.R. Smith inadvertently took him out from behind in the first quarter, it looked like his run of 99 straight playoff appearances might end. Thompson returned to the bench in the first quarter and played 45:26 in the 124-114 overtime win.
But in the two days since, swelling and stiffness increased. Thompson was clearly annoyed about the play Saturday, admitting it was “not good” when discussing the pain in his ankle.
“From watching that replay, it pissed me off,” said Thompson, who is officially listed as questionable.
The Warriors guard, though, does not think Smith deliberately tried to hurt him.
“That’s a tough play on the ball, and then just to tumble into somebody’s legs like that. You’ve got to move past it. It’s just life, and I’m going to be better from it. It’s just a minor setback. But I don’t think it was intentional,” Thompson said, noting Smith seemed “remorseful” afterward.
“So I don’t think he meant to do it. It just sucks. It’s a part of the game. It just sucks for the timing, during The Finals. But no one is going to feel sorry for us or me. I’ve just got to do everything I possibly can these next 24 hours to be right for tomorrow.”
Smith has had a lot of stuff on his plate the past few days in the aftermath of his brain lock in the final seconds of regulation. He insisted there was no intent to harm and was trying to make a good defensive play.
“I was just trying to go for the ball,” Smith said. “It looked like an opportunity for me to get a steal. Unfortunately, I didn’t. I fouled him. They called the foul. I don’t know what more he was looking for.”
Thompson, with his first 3-pointer Thursday, moved into sole possession of sixth place for career playoff 3s, passing Kobe Bryant (292). Thompson has 297 playoff triples entering Sunday, when he will play his 100th career playoff game.
“Klay is just a physical specimen,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s just incredible — the resilience, the stamina to play both ends night after night, 40-plus minutes in the playoffs. He’s a machine.”