Klay Thompson Left Game 1 Of The NBA Finals After JR Smith Slid Into His Leg

The Golden State Warriors entered Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals as heavy favorites over the Cleveland Cavaliers and much of that perceived advantage came on the strength of having four All-Star players. Within the first six minutes of the opener, however, the dominant quartet was placed into a bit of doubt, as All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson was forced to the locker room.

Thompson collided with Cavs guard J.R. Smith and, even with inadvertent contact, it was clear that Thompson suffered some sort of injury.

The incident occurred with 6:17 remaining in the first quarter and Thompson immediately left the floor and headed to the locker room. The Warriors can ill afford to be without one of their top-tier players, particularly with Andre Iguodala already on the shelf for Game 1 and no definite timetable for his return to game action. But the good news is that, according to the Warriors, Thompson is “hopeful to return,” meaning that he somehow did not suffer an injury that could keep him out for a lengthy period of time.

In the absence of Thompson for now, the Warriors would likely turn to some combination of Shaun Livingston, Quinn Cook, Patrick McCaw, and Nick Young to fill minutes on the perimeter.