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Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley will miss Game 5 against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night due to a nagging hamstring injury. Conley spoke to the media ahead of the game and revealed he suffered a “small setback” during his attempt to return.
The setback occurred before Game 3:
Jazz guard Mike Conley says he has a small setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
“If I could play, I would.”
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 16, 2021
Mike Conley says he was prepared to come back for Game 3 vs. the Clippers that morning, but the setback has obviously changed that. Says he had another pull lower on his leg.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 16, 2021
Conley wouldn't rule out returning in this series, but time is running out as the Jazz and Clippers get set to do battle in the pivotal Game 5. The veteran guard hasn't played since suffering the injury in Game 5 of the first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Injuries are taking over as the major storyline of this series. Not only is Conley not ready to return, but Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell has been playing through pain of his own. Plus, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is now expected to miss the rest of the series with an ACL injury. Serge Ibaka was also recently ruled out for the season with a back injury.
This is turning into a war of attrition. One would think the Jazz have the edge with home-court advantage and no Leonard, but don't count out Paul George and the rest of the talented Clippers roster. George has plenty to prove and could carry LA to victory, so Utah needs to be on point with Conley still out of the lineup.
When healthy, the 33-year-old Conley was a key cog in the regular season after struggling in his first campaign in Utah. The Jazz guard averaged 16.2 points, 6.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 44.4% from the field and a career-high 41.2% on 3-pointers.
