Veteran Warriors forward Otto Porter Jr. had to leave Sunday’s Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Mavericks due to a left injury. Porter exited with 9:11 left in the second quarter, grimacing after he landed on the floor on a layup attempt.
After the 109-100 victory to take a 3-0 series lead, the Warriors announced X-Rays were negative and that the team would know more in 24 hours.
"It's definitely concerning," coach Steve Kerr said.
For what it's worth, TV cameras spotted Porter running through tunnels at American Airlines Center during the game.
Porter’s right foot was sore and kept him sidelined for two and a half games in the second round, so this appears to be a new injury. Porter, however, dealt with left foot and toe problems from 2018-19.
Porter is a key role player for the Warriors who helped spark them in a Game 3 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the playoffs, before leaving at halftime in Game 4 of that series with his right foot injury.
On Sunday, Juan Toscano-Anderson entered the game for Porter, who limped toward the locker room after briefly sitting on the bench. Porter scored two points and grabbed a rebound in seven minutes.
In the first two games of the series, Porter averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while making 9-of-11 field goals.
Listed at 6-foot-8, Porter brings size and shooting to the Warriors. His teammates recently labeled him as the top mid-range option on the team, and he has a career 39.8 percent clip from 3-point land. Defensively, Porter can match up with any frontcourt player on the Mavericks, who don’t have much of an interior presence.
Losing Porter for any extended period of time would be a tough loss for the Warriors, who are already without Gary Payton II (fractured left elbow) and Andre Iguodala (neck). Iguodala was spotted in Dallas before Game 3 shooting, while Payton was also taking right-handed shots.
