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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS vs WARRIORS

June 2, 2018

Klay Thompson

Oakland, California: Practice Day

Q. What is your pain level today. Just to clarify what you said on the conference call (indiscernible) ankle?
KLAY THOMPSON: Twisted my ankle. I'm going to do everything I possibly can to play tomorrow.

Q. Nothing to keep you off the court tomorrow?
KLAY THOMPSON: I don't know.

Q. How is the pain today?
KLAY THOMPSON: It's not good. From watching that replay, it pissed me off.

Q. What pissed you off?
KLAY THOMPSON: That's a tough play on the ball, and then just to tumble into somebody's legs like that. You've got to move past it. It's just life, and I'm going to be better from it. It's just a minor setback. But I don't think it was intentional.

Q. Did J.R. Smith say anything to you afterward?
KLAY THOMPSON: Yeah, he was remorseful, so I don't think he meant to do it. It just sucks. It's a part of the game. It just sucks for the timing, during The Finals. But no one is going to feel sorry for us or me. I've just got to do everything I possibly can these next 24 hours to be right for tomorrow.

Q. Did the pain get worse overnight? It kind of sounds like it did.
KLAY THOMPSON: Yeah, once you stop playing and you slow down and you're not out there with the adrenaline, it's naturally going to swell up a little bit. If you don't move as much as you were, it's going to stiffen up. So just got to keep it loose at this point. Yeah, just trying to do everything I can to minimize that swelling.

Q. If the game were tonight or today, could you play?
KLAY THOMPSON: I don't know. I'm happy that's not the case.

Q. I'm trying to read your emotions. Are you feeling less optimistic today that you'll be able to go tomorrow?
KLAY THOMPSON: No, I feel -- I'm planning on playing. So if I'm playing, I'm playing.

Q. How are you feeling now that you guys have had a chance to digest Game 1? You guys outscored the Cavs 17-7 in overtime. Was there something else you saw on the film? Was it offensive rebounding?
KLAY THOMPSON: We played a good game, not a great game. That's a good sign. We need to be better on the rebounding. But all that matters is we're 1-0 and we have a chance to go up two games tomorrow. We're all excited for the opportunity. Can't wait.

Q. After not having home court last series, how great was it to be able to get Oracle going right off the start in Game 1 here?
KLAY THOMPSON: It was fun. It felt normal again. So I'm happy we got that in our back pocket.

Q. Just curious, if this wasn't a Finals game, would you play with your ankle?
KLAY THOMPSON: I'm not sure. I'm not into hypotheticals. It is a Finals game, and I'm going to do everything I possibly can to play.

Q. You said the other day you had a high ankle sprain before. Is this worse than one you've had in the past?
KLAY THOMPSON: I'm not sure. It's not good, but I'm going to do what I can to get out there. It's something you definitely don't want to have in the NBA Championship.

Q. When you left the arena the other night you said you were playing in Game 2. Now it sounds like it's a little more questionable. How has the pain gotten worse in the last day or two?
KLAY THOMPSON: Just swelling, stiffness. I kind of expected it when the game ended because the adrenaline is not kicked in and you aren't moving as much as you were. Because right when it happens, you can play. I've done it before. You can play on it; once you stop and go to bed that night, it kind of swells up. So I'm still optimistic for tomorrow, and I'm going to do everything I can today and tonight to get right.

Q. There is a fortune cookie factory here in Chinatown. You've been there. There is a huge graffiti of you in there. How was your visit there? And if you could open a cookie today, what message would you like to read?
KLAY THOMPSON: I love that place. I have great times every time I go there. It's in the heart of Chinatown. It's a lot of fun. Well, you're not supposed to read your fortune; that's bad luck. So I don't know if I would tell you. Sorry.

Q. One of the things you said was you had a high pain tolerance growing up with your brothers and playing football. Were you a multiple-sport athlete?
KLAY THOMPSON: I was. I enjoyed a ton of sports, not just basketball.

Q. Did you play in high school?
KLAY THOMPSON: I didn't play my last season in high school. I just focused on basketball.

Q. What exactly hurts?
KLAY THOMPSON: My ankle is just sore. It's stiff at the moment, but I'm going to do what I can in these next 24 hours or so to loosen it up as much as possible. Get some stability back.

I'm optimistic for tomorrow. That's the hard part of the game we all have to endure. Got to let it go. It happens. I've just got to move on.

Q. Is it the kind of thing a painkiller might help?
KLAY THOMPSON: I'm not even sure. I've never tried one of those.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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