Iguodala sits out Game 2 with knee inflammation
SAN FRANCISCO >> The Warriors were without Andre Iguodala in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night after he was downgraded to “out” with right knee inflammation a few hours before tip-off against the Celtics.
Coach Steve Kerr said Iguodala's knee swelled up after practice Saturday afternoon and he'll be day-today going forward.
Iguodala returned to the court from an extended absence due to a neck injury in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. He played 12 minutes in the loss to the Celtics, scoring seven points on 3-of-4 shooting. Primarily operating as the Warriors' ball-handler when he played, Iguodala tallied three assists with only one turnover, though he did commit three fouls.
Iguodala, 38, was limited to just 31 regular-season games as he dealt with knee, hip and back issues. Sunday was the 14th game of the playoffs he watched from the bench in street clothes. Iguodala previously missed more than a month as he dealt with a lingering neck issue.
He played in Game 1 of the first round against Denver, sat out Game 2, played in both Games 3 and 4 in Denver and was out for Game 5 and the rest of the Western Conference playoffs.
Iguodala had been speaking in jest about his injury status in the runup to the NBA Finals, saying on Wednesday that he's “just trying to finish the season walking on two feet. If I do that, it's a successful season.” WARRIORS, CELTICS PROMOTE CAUSES TO END GUN VIOLENCE >> The Warriors and Celtics switched out blue and green warm-up gear for orange t-shirts before and during Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
The orange shirts are to support the End Gun Violence movement. On the back of each shirt lists five organizations that work toward gun violence prevention: Everytown, Brady, Gifford (led by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords), Live Free (based in Oakland) and March for our Lives.
Both teams are participating in the “wear orange” campaign in response to multiple mass shootings in recent weeks, including the killing of 19 elementary school students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas in May.
“I think we feel very strongly as a league that it's time for people to take notice and to take part in what should be a nationwide effort to limit the gun violence that's out there,” coach Steve Kerr said. “And there are ways to limit it. There are proven laws that are waiting to be passed, whether it's background checks or what have you. There are things we can do that would not violate people's Second Amendment rights, but would save lives.
Kerr, whose father was assassinated in Lebanon when Kerr was 18, has been outspoken about ending gun violence. Hours after the Uvalde shooting and in lieu of a press conference before the Western Conference finals in Dallas, Kerr gave an impassioned and emotional speech begging lawmakers to take action.
Kerr, all of the Warriors coaches and some players wore the orange shirts on Sunday at Chase Center, and Golden State guard Jordan Poole wore the shirt on the bench during the game. Celtics head coach Ime Udoka also wore the orange shirt pregame along with most of the Celtics players and coaches.
“The biggest thing I think is to vote,” Kerr said on Sunday. “What I understand is that a lot of races, congressional races that are out there, despite the fact that the majority of people in this country want gun safety measures put in place, a lot of those races are decided by people who aren't so much for any kind of gun safety measures.
“And so people got to vote, and if you feel strongly about saving lives and possibly even someone in your own family, get out and vote. That's the only way to convince the people we need to convince to start implementing gun safety regulation prevention laws, things that we can do to help.”
The movement within the NBA has traveled outside of the Finals, too. At a rally in Uvalde, an hour west of San Antonio, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich criticized Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott and senator Ted Cruz for their inaction on mass shootings in the state, citing a 2018 shooting at another high school in Texas.
“After the last massacre, (Abbott) made statements and promises that he would look at the gun laws, he would look at the legislation. Nothing happened,” said Popovich.
Kerr said he saw his mentor's speech and that it “captured a lot of people's anger that was out there.”