After days of undergoing tests, the Golden State Warriors have announced that guard Klay Thompson has indeed suffered a concussion after taking a knee to the head in Game 5 of Golden State’s 104-90 victory over the Houston Rockets.
The incident took place early in the fourth quarter after Thompson used a fake to get Trevor Ariza in the air, and Ariza’s knee inadvertently collided with the side of Thompson’s head, causing him to bleed from the ear. Thompson did not return to the game after the injury.
He is now without a timetable for return and will be evaluated daily. Thompson cannot return to action until he is cleared by league protocol.
“Glad we got the full battery of tests,” Thompson’s agent Bill Duffy said.
Fortunately for Thompson and the Warriors, the NBA Finals don’t start until June 4, giving Thompson adequate amount of time to recover.
If Thompson is not able to give it a go in Game 1, Shaun Livingston is likely to take his spot in the starting lineup. The Warriors will, however, need a healthy Klay Thompson during the NBA Finals against the tough Cleveland Cavaliers squad. They cannot get off to a slow start in the series because of this injury.
Game 1 of the Finals will be in Oakland on Thursday, June 4th, at 9 pm EST.