thompson

Near the end of the first quarter of Wednesday’s NBA Finals Game 3, Warriors guard Klay Thompson was forced to exit the game after taking hard spill as a result of a screen set by Cavs center Timofey Mozgov in the middle of the key.

Thompson returned to the game in the second quarter but was unable to find any kind of rhythm in the midst of the Cavs performance as they went on to win 120-90. Following the loss, Thompson expressed his opinion about how Mozgov’s screen contributed to his first-quarter leg injury, specifically as it related to his timing and placement of his screen.

“I didn’t get it. I don’t know. I’m guarding Kyrie [Irving], running full speed downhill, I just don’t  know who is trying to set a pick on me in the middle of the key. If it’s on the perimeter, I understand. But didn’t make sense to me,” Thompson said. “Obviously didn’t feel good. But I’ll be all right. Luckily for us I’m going to take the day off tomorrow and get healthy, but it’s The Finals. Nothing’s going to keep me out of it, but I re-watched it. I’m just confused why he’s trying to set a screen in the middle of the key when we’re both running full speed downhill. It seemed kind of dirty to me. He stuck his knee out too, but, you know what? That’s basketball.”

Was this a dirty play? Sure Thompson was probably just frustrated given how his team played, but it is certainly odd for Mozgov to set a screen in the middle of the key, especially when his own teammate is driving downhill into the paint and needs a clear lane to operate. By the same token, Mozgov’s screens gave Golden State trouble early and allowed Kyrie Irving to gain the separation he wasn’t able to create in the first two games. Regardless, the screen was not enough to keep Thompson down for too long, as the guard eventually returned to the game and appears to be on track to play in Game 4.

The Warriors are set to play Game 4 in Cleveland on Friday at 9 pm EST.

[SI]

About Colby Lanham

Colby Lanham is a graduate of Clemson University who, in addition to writing for The Comeback, has written for SI's Campus Rush, Bleacher Report, and Clemson Athletics. He is an alumni of the 2015 Sports Journalism Institute, where he also worked as an editorial intern for MLB.com. He has interests in football, basketball, and various forms of pop culture.