Klay Thompson a late scratch for Warriors’ game vs. Utah Jazz

SAN FRANCISCO — Hours before tipoff Sunday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr learned that Klay Thompson wouldn’t be available against the Utah Jazz, raising concern over his recovery from two leg injuries and leaving Golden State shorthanded again against one of its top foes in the Western Conference.

Thompson felt a “tweak” in the left knee he had surgically repaired approximately 18 months ago, Kerr said, prompting Dr. Rick Celebrini to deliver the news that Thompson would need to be a late scratch Sunday night.

Despite Thompson and Draymond Green (lower back) watching from the bench in street clothes, the undermanned Warriors dispatched the Jazz, 94-92, for the second time in a month’s span. If either player isn’t ready by the time they meet for a third time — in Salt Lake City about 2 ½ weeks from now – the Warriors have cause for concern.

For now, the Warriors downplayed the situation – Kerr said it was a matter of caution and “not too concerning” – but the severity of the setback remains unknown, coming after two consecutive days off for the shooting guard who is making his way back from tears to his anterior cruciate ligament and Achilles tendon that caused him to miss the last two seasons.

Thompson, who underwent surgery on the left knee in July 2019, is averaging 14.7 points in 21.4 minutes since he returned six games ago. He saw his most time yet Thursday in his last outing but didn’t make any of his seven 3-point attempts in just over 23 minutes. He sat the next night as part of the Warriors’ plan to hold him out of back-to-back games, and Golden State was off Saturday.

Thompson arrived at Chase Center Sunday morning planning to play and participated in walk throughs. But shortly after that, Celebrini informed Kerr that Thompson shouldn’t play that night.

“I didn’t realize that anything was wrong,” Kerr said. “Rick said that it would be wise to hold him out.”

With the late scratch, the Warriors used an array of supporting players to buoy another cold shooting night by Stephen Curry (5-of-20 overall, 1-of-13 from 3) and bury the Jazz, who were playing without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell.

When the two teams met at the end of December, the Jazz were at full strength, but the Warriors got 20-point performances from Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Otto Porter Jr. to overcome the absences of Green, in COVID protocols, and Thompson, who was still about two weeks from his return to the court.

The Warriors used a similar formula Sunday: they finished with six players in double figures and had five by midway through the third quarter, led by Jordan Poole, who finished with a team-high 20 points, to go along with Wiggins (14), Curry (13), Porter (13), Damion Lee (12) and Kevon Looney (10).

Gary Payton II extended the Warriors’ advantage to its widest margin of the night, 79-66, with consecutive steal-and-scores toward the end of the third quarter. But Utah answered immediately by starting an 18-4 run on the ensuing possession that erased Golden State’s lead entirely by the 9:15 mark of the fourth quarter.

The Warriors managed only 11 points while missing on their final 10 attempts from distance and shooting 26.3% in the final quarter, but were able to hang on by limiting Utah to 17 points in the final quarter. Up by 2 with a minute to play, Porter blocked Mike Conley Jr. at the rim, and after a desperation heave from Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah’s putback attempt rolled off the rim to seal the win.

Source: www.mercurynews.com