Warriors' Klay Thompson will play, and maybe Andre Iguodala, too, in Game 3

CLEVELAND - Klay Thompson's ankle didn't fall off after his gutty performance in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and the Warriors' shooting guard is almost certain to start Game 3 here on Wednesday. And he may be joined by a very special guest: Andre Iguodala, the veteran swingman who has missed six consecutive games with a knee bruise.

The Warriors updated Iguodala from “doubtful” to “questionable” for Game 3. And with the first 30 minutes of Tuesday's practice session visible to reporters, it was clear that he would be participating in his first full practice since he bumped knees with Houston's James Harden in Game 3 of the Western Conference final series.

Iguodala has more or less been day-to-day since suffering the injury, and his 34-year-old knee responded more slowly than expected to treatment. The Warriors are up 2-0 in the series, but are certain to face a stern test at Quicken Loans Arena. Iguodala's steadying presence would help.

“We talk about his versatility all the time,” teammate Stephen Curry said of Iguodala. “We talk about the ways that he can fill holes defensively and offensively for us, especially against teams that we have such familiarity with. He's such a high-IQ type of guy that he'll most likely find himself in the right place at the right time and help our rotation get back to what we're consistently used to. Just for him, just as a person, to be healthy and be able to play in the Finals now that we're here, I think that would mean a lot to him and give us an emotional boost as well.”

Thompson's left leg bent awkwardly when he was hit by the Cavaliers' J.R. Smith in Game 1 at Oakland last Thursday. He returned to that game and played a total of 45 minutes, but his ankle swelled considerably afterward, and it wasn't certain he could play until Game 2 until a few hours before tipoff. He wound up scoring 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting.

Thompson appeared to be moving a bit gingerly Tuesday, but says he is ready to face the Cavs again Wednesday. He has never missed a postseason game.

“You count on him,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “You just count on him every day. … A lot of people think of toughness and they think bravado. But toughness is also a quiet confidence and a resilience. I think Klay embodies that. He's there for us every night.”