Ultimate Warriors pushed to the brink of extinction
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You get a feeling that as long as Klay Thompson has a heartbeat, he’ll persevere through any discomfort, especially when it’s on the NBA’s biggest stage.
It was in Game 2 at Scotiabank Arena when Thompson hurt his hamstring, an injury that forced the Warriors guard to miss Game 3.
He returned for Game 4 by putting up 28 points in a losing effort as the two-time defending champion Warriors were pushed to the brink of elimination.
“It didn’t affect me,” Thompson said of his injury. “Like I said before, it’s the Finals. It’s a long season. You play 100-plus games, you’re going to be banged up.
“But you just got to dig deep. No one’s going to feel sorry for you, so you just got to go out there, man up and play to the best of your ability.”
The same applies for Kevon Looney, also hurt in Game 2 amid talk he’d be lost for the balance of the series because of a non-displaced first costal cartilage fracture on his right side.
Like Thompson, Looney — a big known for his defence, setting hard screens and finishing around the rim — missed Game 3, but returned for Game 4.
“Both those guys are, they’re warriors. No pun intended,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “They just compete, compete, compete, and I’m really proud of both of them.”
That competitive spirit will be put to the ultimate test with the Raptors entering Monday night’s tip having a chance to win the franchise’s first title.
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