Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has denied he and his teammates sacrificed Game 3 so they can be healthy in Game 4 of the 2019 NBA Finals.
Green made this clear during the post-game conference of the Warriors' 123-109 Game 3 loss to the visiting Toronto Raptors at Oracle Arena on June 5, per Washington Post national NBA writer Ben Golliver.
Draymond Green on whether Warriors "sacrificed" Game 3 loss to Raptors with careful handling of injuries: "You don't sacrifice a Finals game to be healthy for the next one." pic.twitter.com/giJ3avT8Gl
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 6, 2019
Golden State missed the services of key three players in Game 3. 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant is still recovering from a strained right calf he suffered against the Houston Rockets in the second round.
On the other hand, shooting guard Klay Thompson sustained a left hamstring injury in Game 2 against the Raptors. Earlier during the game, Warriors center Kevon Looney fractured his first costal cartilage while trying to thwart a driving Kawhi Leonard. Doctors have ruled out Looney indefinitely.
Further detail on Looney injury, per sources: non-displaced first costal cartilage fracture. There could be more evaluation, but there isn't great optimism on a return this season. DeMarcus Cousins' emergence in Game 2 looms even bigger for the Warriors. https://t.co/acW7PnWQzm
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 4, 2019
Even with a slew of injuries, the Warriors are still fighting with all their might. Stephen Curry scored a game-high 47 points against the Raptors in Game 3. However, he couldn't do it all by himself. Too much Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry spelled Golden State's doom in the end.
The bigger question looms: how healthier will the Warriors be in Game 4? At the very least, they hope Thompson will return by then. They never imagined themselves defending their NBA crown limping like they are now.
However, don't count the Warriors out yet. The 2019 NBA Finals is far from over.
Follow Us
Subscribe