Andrew Bogut #12 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after suffering an apparent injury during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2016 in Oakland, California. (Photo : Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut suffered a knee injury in Game 5 of the 2015 NBA Finals. The injury could keep the Australian center out for the rest of the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bogut travelled with the team but the Warriors have not provided official injury update, ESPN reported. According to the report, the Warriors could make the announcement on Wednesday. There is a growing speculation the starting center will not be able to return based on how it looked in Game 5.
Bogut, who has been a solid defensive for the Warriors in the finals, hurt his knee after an awkward fall, following an in-air collision with Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith. The 31-year-old grimaced in pain and did not put weight on his left knee when he went to the dugout for examination.
His absence was greatly felt in Game 5, as the Cavaliers, led by four-time Most Valuable Player LeBron James, aggressively attacked the basket en route to a 112-97 win at Oracle Arena on Monday. The Warriors also missed Draymond Green, who was suspended for committing another flagrant foul in Game 4.
If Bogut fails to recover in time for Game 6, Warriors coach Steve Kerr will likely give Festus Ezeli and Anderson Varejao heavy minutes. The Warriors could also start with a small lineup with Green as their starting center, San Jose Mercury News reported. Ezeli believes Green's return will be vital for them on Thursday night.
"We relish going small, and Draymond is kind of the pivotal player in our small ball," Ezeli said. "He's the big man. He does a good job of switching and he's very aggressive with their guys."
The Warriors, who still hold a 3-2 lead, will look to close out the series and win their back-to-back NBA titles. Curiously, the Warriors also bagged the title last year at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
On the other hand, the Cavaliers will continue their chase to become the first team to comeback from a 1-3 deficit in the NBA Finals. A win on Thursday will make them just the third team to force a Game 7 after trailing 1-3 in the finals -- next to the 1951 New York Knicks and 1966 Los Angeles Lakers.
Watch Bogut's awkward fall in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals below.
