NBA Finals 2019: Klay Thompson suffered torn ACL in left knee during Game 6

Benyam Kidane

NBA Finals 2019: Klay Thompson suffered torn ACL in left knee during Game 6 image

Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson exited Game 6 of the NBA Finals with a knee injury, undergoing an MRI which revealed he had a torn ACL, the team announced.


Thompson fell awkwardly following a dunk attempt in the third quarter, immediately grabbing his left knee, before being helped off the court.

After briefly heading down the tunnel, he returned to the court quickly to his shoot free throws - had he not returned he would have been ruled out for the remainder fo the game.

Thompson made both free throws to give the Warriors an 85-80 lead before heading back to the locker room, reportedly telling coach Steve Kerr he only needed a brief rest, before he was ultimately ruled out.


"It's amazement that we're sitting in this position with -- during the game, we have a chance to win the game and force a Game 7, go back to Toronto -- you just think, 'How? How has this group of guys put themselves in position to do it?'" Kerr said when asked what he was thinking when Thompson was injured. "And then, as I said, when Klay goes down and is out for the game, it's just sort of a, 'You gotta be kidding me. This has to stop.'

"But it's just -- the way it's gone, I don't know if it's related to five straight seasons of playing 100-plus games and just all the wear and tear, but it's devastating."

Thompson was in the midst of another all-time Game 6 performance, leading the Warriors with 30 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-6 from the three-point line.

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.