Reigning NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala saw his ankle roll up on him while challenging Damian Lillard for a loose ball in the Golden State Warriors win over Portland on Friday night.
After hitting one of two free throws, the super sub was seen immediately heading for the locker room.
The injury didn’t look good. He was obviously favoring the injured ankle after initially displaying a ton of pain while down on the hardwood.
Now comes this report:
Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (ankle) is out and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) March 13, 2016
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called Iguodala’s injury “significant” and indicated it was a big deal prior to the team’s game with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.
More so than the next two weeks, Iguodala’s return for the playoffs is going to be the bigger deal here. Golden State holds a 3.5 game lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the race for the top seed out west — a lead it is unlikely to give up after starting the season with a 58-6 record.
This means the Warriors are likely going to play it close to the vest when it comes to the forward’s return, potentially creating some issues as the team chases 73 wins.
As Kerr has continually stated throughout the season, repeating as champions is a bigger deal than breaking the single-season wins record.
Iguodala is averaging 7.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 48 percent from the field this season.
More than those simple stats, the reigning NBA Finals MVP has proven himself to be one of the top wing defenders in the Association. His absence could have a major impact down the stretch.