Getty Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors were able to pick up an important win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, despite missing star guard Stephen Curry. Curry went down with a leg injury during the Dubs’ February 4 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. His splash brother, Klay Thompson stepped up big time while he was sidelined.
Thompson poured in 42 points for Golden State, knocking down 12 3-pointers in the process.
Following his team’s loss, Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault was asked about Thompson’s monster night. He discussed the dilemma that comes with trying to defend such a skilled shooter.
“Some of the early ones were on me,” Daigneault said via Bally Sports Southwest. “You know, we were betting on our guards kind of pursuing him, and doing it with a guard. If you bring a big up there it opens up a can of worms in other areas of the game, and as the game went on we started to do that more and more and adjust that. That’s why they’re a good team, they present dilemmas. You know it’s like if you try and do it with the guard, he’s obviously a good enough shooter to do what he did in the first quarter and second quarter. If you bring your big up, now you’re in rotation against a really good passing team that really knows how to play against that. Obviously, we didn’t have the right balance of it tonight and that was the game.”
The former No. 11 overall pick is having his best season since returning from a two-season injury hiatus. Thompson has appeared 42 of Golden State’s 54 games this year, playing 32.6 minutes each time. He averages 21.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, while shooting 42.3% from the field and 40.2% from deep.
Timetable for Stephen Curry’s Return to Warriors Revealed
Golden State’s February 6 win against Oklahoma City marked the first of at least a few games where they’ll be missing Curry. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on February 5 that last season’s Finals MVP is expect to miss “multiple weeks” with the knee injury.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry is expected to miss multiple weeks with a left leg injury, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Golden State will undoubtedly miss Curry while he recovers from the ailment. He’s appeared in 38 games for the Dubs this season, averaging 29.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game. The former No. 7 overall pick has been efficient all year as well, shooting 49.5% from the field and 42.7% from beyond the arc.
Draymond Green Discusses Stephen Curry Injury
After the Warriors guard left the game with the knee issue, Dubs forward Draymond Green was asked if he’d gotten the chance to speak to Curry about his injury.
“No, I don’t know,” Green said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “Didn’t get a chance to talk to him. I just finished my lift. So, [I’ll] check in with him when [I] get out of here.”
The press then asked Green team was thrown off by the injury, allowing Dallas to nearly comeback and steal the win.
“I mean, I think it was so sudden, you didn’t, I didn’t even realize he left the bench,” Green explained. “You know, so I think it was just so sudden. I don’t think I necessarily changed the emotion. I think you get a lead, you let your guard down, that’s what happens. It’s quite the thing with this team.”