The Golden State Warriors host the Denver Nuggets on Friday and All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson will likely return to the lineup for the Dubs.
Thompson has missed the last two games because of soreness in his right knee. An MRI showed no structural damage.
Klay Thompson will likely return tomorrow vs Nuggets. Practiced today. Probable. Missed last two games with a right knee soreness.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 7, 2019
The Warriors went 1-1 without Thompson. They defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in Philly and lost to the Boston Celtics at home.
Friday's matchup against the Nuggets could be a Western Conference Finals preview. The Warriors have the best record in the West at 44-20. Denver has the second-best mark at 43-21. Golden State and Denver have split the first two games of their series this season.
In 61 games this season for the Dubs, Thompson is averaging 22.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest while shooting 47.0 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from beyond the arc and 81.5 percent from the free-throw line. Everyone who watched the Warriors-Celtics game saw how Thompson's absence hurt the Dubs.
For example, there was one play where Kevin Durant was driving to the basket. Celtics guard Marcus Smart left his defender in the corner and took a charge on Durant. If Smart was guarding Thompson, he wouldn't have been able to leave his spot and Durant would have had a clear driving lane to the basket.
It's small things like that which make Klay Thompson so valuable to Golden State.
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