It looked like another easy win for Golden State. It had been in total control against Indiana since a 22-0 run in the first quarter and led by 28 entering the fourth quarter. The starters went to the bench to watch 12 minutes of garbage time. Except it didn’t work out that way, the Pacers opened the quarter on a 12-2 run of their own and quickly were chopping away at the Warriors lead, which ultimately got down to single digits. Warriors coach Luke Walton had to send the starters back in to secure the victory.
Here is the danger with that: In the final minute of the game Klay Thompson — who had a team-high 39 points on the night — came down on Shaun Livingston’s foot and rolled his ankle. He went to the ground in pain.
Fortunately X-rays were negative and Thompson said he didn’t plan to miss time, speaking with Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com.
Thompson said he plans to play this weekend, the Warriors face the Celtics Friday and the Bucks Saturday. We’ll see, the Warriors tend to err on the side of caution with these things, especially considering it’s still mid-December. The Warriors are going to prioritize the long term.
If he does miss time, it could mean Brandon Rush starting at the two and Andre Iguodala starting at the three, although coach Luke Walton (are we still calling him interim?) has other options at his disposal. This is a versatile team.