OAKLAND — As the media populated the Oracle Arena floor after Tuesday's practice, a crowd began to form around Warriors guard Klay Thompson's shooting workout.
While Thompson -- who injured his right hamstring in Game 2 of the NBA Finals -- practiced myriad mid-range shots, intrigue continued to build on whether he'd play in Game 3 against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
Thompson's injury is just the latest for the Warriors. Since the playoffs began, Golden State endured injuries to two All-Stars and a super sub, and lost Kevon Looney for the remainder of the playoffs. With the best-of-seven NBA Finals tied at one game apiece, the back-to-back defending champs again must rely on depth as their increasingly crippled roster plays through the series.
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"It's just everybody being ready," Warriors guard Stephen Curry said Tuesday. "The way that we play, everybody feels involved on both ends of the floor and has an opportunity to impact the game, not necessarily scoring every possession but just playing within the flow and sharing the ball, moving, playing unselfishly."
Thompson has proven throughout his career to be a dependable bet to be on the floor in the playoffs. In fact, in 120 career playoff games, he has never missed a start. Last season, after spraining his ankle in a serious collision with Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith, Thompson didn’t miss any time.
His latest injury, which occurred in the third quarter of the Warriors' Game 2 win, could be a more difficult recovery. On Tuesday, Thompson maintained that he intended to play Wednesday night, but he said he would leave the final decision to the Warriors' training staff.
Seven minutes before Thompson exited Sunday, the Warriors lost Looney for the season with a non-displaced first costal cartilage fracture, while DeMarcus Cousins played his second game back from a torn quadriceps. Add Kevin Durant's injured calf and Andre Iguodala's injured leg, and you can see a team low on championship breaks. Still, the team seemed confident Tuesday.
Golden State Warriors
"Our team is very adaptable," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We have a lot of versatility. What it requires is bench players being ready to step up, like they always are, and guys just playing hard and playing together.
”I think you have to be fearless, too, which our team is. You can't worry about anything. You just go out there and play and compete and let it fly, and whatever happens, happens."
Following Thompson's injury, the Warriors held on for a 109-104 win. Quinn Cook scored nine points in the second half on three 3-pointers, as the bench scored 25 points on the night.
Sunday's approach has been a necessity over the last three months. In the second game of the postseason, Cousins tore his right quad while chasing a loose ball. Two weeks later, Durant struggled to walk off the Oracle Arena floor after straining his right calf in the second round.
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Despite all of those injuries, the Warriors enter Wednesday with a 13-5 playoff record. They can take a two-games-to-one lead over the Raptors if they follow the familiar mantra of "Strength in Numbers."
"Just staying ready," Warriors guard Shaun Livingston said. "There's going to be opportunity with guys going down. That's just the way it shakes out. And that's what happens in professional sports, period. So just guys being ready, playing with a lot of confidence, knowing that we're going to get that opportunity, and coming in and make plays."