Golden State forward Andre Iguodala is expected to play Sunday, despite being hobbled at the end of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but teammate Kevin Durant won’t.
May 30, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) goes for a rebound against Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) in game one of the 2019 NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Shamus/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
Coach Steve Kerr updated the state of the Warriors’ health Friday, saying Iguodala should play in Game 2 while Durant may return for Game 3 on Wednesday when the series shifts to Oakland, Calif. The Toronto Raptors won Game 1 on Thursday night 118-109 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Iguodala drove in for a score near the end of the game and was limping afterward. Kerr said Iguodala underwent an MRI exam Friday morning, and while he didn’t disclose the results, The Athletic reported it came back clean.
As for Durant, Kerr said he already has been ruled out for Game 2. Durant has been sidelined since injuring his right calf during the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets on May 8. The Warriors were 5-0 without Durant in these playoffs until the loss to the Raptors.
—Draymond Green insists that Drake isn’t getting under his skin, commenting one day after the Golden State Warriors star had a brief verbal exchange with Drake after Game 1 of the NBA Finals as the Canadian rapper enjoyed the Toronto Raptors’ 118-109 victory.
Green said Friday that Drake deserves a little extra slack for his antics because of his fame: “Drake talking on the sideline, I think so many people make a big deal out of it. It is what it is. He’s a fan. He talks and it gets more attention because he’s Drake.
“He’s worked his a— off to be who he is. I think we all know when you do that, you get more leash than others. I think there’s so much talk and the NBA needs to — no, they don’t. He worked to be who he is; you should get more leash. But I don’t mind it. It’s fun for me.”
—The Los Angeles Clippers were fined $50,000 for violating the NBA’s anti-tampering rule because of recent comments in which coach Doc Rivers compared Kawhi Leonard to all-time NBA great Michael Jordan.
Leonard, who led the Toronto Raptors to the NBA Finals, is slated to become a free agent after the season, and the Clippers are one of the teams expected to seek his services. Rivers made the comments Tuesday when he appeared on an NBA Finals preview show on ESPN.
“(Leonard) is the most like Jordan that we’ve seen,” Rivers said on the show. “There’s a lot of great players. LeBron (James) is phenomenal, KD (Kevin Durant) is phenomenal. Not that (Leonard) is Jordan or anything like that, but he’s the most like him.”
—Projected high NBA draft pick Cam Reddish will undergo core-muscle surgery prior to the June 20 draft, The Athletic reported.
Reddish played with the injury during his one season at Duke before entering the draft. His recovery time will be approximately six weeks, according to the The Athletic. Reddish, a swingman, is viewed as a probable Top 10 pick. He is currently listed as the No. 8 selection in the mock draft at nbadraft.net.
The 6-foot-8 Reddish averaged 13.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in 36 games last season. He shot just 35.6 percent from the field, including 33.3 from 3-point range.
—Field Level Media