Andrew Bogut Injury Update: GS Warriors’ Starting Center In Danger of Missing Game 6 Against Cleveland Cavaliers

By Carlo Monzon
Andrew Bogut
Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) reacts after suffering an apparent injury against Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half in game five of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena.  Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors struggled through Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers without Draymond Green but it seems the team will enter Game 6 without another key player. According to various sources, it is not yet clear if Andrew Bogut will be able to play with the Warriors on Thursday.

Golden State's starting center injured his left knee during the early minutes of the third quarter. As he tried to block J.R. Smith's shot, he collided with him and planted his left leg as he went down. Smith, however, fell on Bogut's leg and hyper-extended it.

Bogut was then escorted to the locker and missed the rest of the game. According to ESPN, Bogut traveled to Cleveland with the Warriors on Tuesday to undergo an MRI. The results of the procedure, however, are still being evaluated and it is not yet clear if he will be able to play in Game 6, which will be held in the Cavs' hometown.

Bogut's potential absence could put the Warriors in another tight spot in their ongoing fight against the Cavaliers. Earlier this week, the Cavs, particularly LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, dominated the Warriors by ending Game 5 at 112-97 in favor of Cleveland.

The victory was widely attributed to the absence of Green, who was given a one-game suspension due to the flagrant fouls he accumulated during the playoffs. Of course, Bogut doesn't perform at the same level as Green but the 7-foot Australian is still a vital part of the Warriors' defense, which collapsed rather easily when he was taken out of the game on Monday.

Although Green will be back for Game 6, Golden State's roster will still be incomplete. Head coach Steve Kerr is aware of this and is still hoping that Bogut will be cleared to play on Thursday.

"It would have been nice to have him available," he said according to the San Francisco Gate. "But we played four, five different people at center, just trying to find something that would work."

"It's unfortunate," he added. "Hopefully he's OK. We need him."