OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut missed his third straight game with a left shoulder injury against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night, leading to more questions about his status.
Warriors coach Mark Jackson said before his team routed Philadelphia 123-80 that he wasn’t sure when Bogut injured himself, speculating that it might’ve happened while sleeping. Bogut later cleared things up, telling reporters he bruised a bone in his shoulder in a win at Utah on Jan. 31.
The team had previously said Bogut had “left shoulder inflammation.” Bogut also called Jackson’s suggestion that he woke up with the injury “absolutely ridiculous.”
“As far as I know, it wasn’t on the court. It wasn’t in practice. It wasn’t in a game. I’m not really sure,” Jackson said during his pregame news conference when asked how Bogut was injured. “It may have been sleeping, and I say that in all seriousness.”
After the game, Jackson opened his news conference by saying his comments were not a dig at Bogut and he was merely trying to explain the center’s injury.
“There’s nothing to sort out,” Jackson said. “My office is always open. We did talk. It’s nothing. I understand. My only point is, let’s talk. It’s nothing.”
Before last season, the Warriors initially said Bogut had arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle, an injury that hampered him most of the year. Bogut later clarified that he underwent microfracture surgery.
Bogut has played in 48 of 52 games this season.
His status for Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat - Golden State’s final game before the All-Star break - remains unclear. The same goes for backup center Jermaine O’Neal, who also sat out against the 76ers to rest his nagging right wrist.
The Warriors did get a boost from power forward David Lee, who had missed the past two games with a sprained left shoulder and strained left hip before finishing with 13 points and 13 rebounds in 31 minutes against Philadelphia.
Sixers reserve Hollis Thompson also missed the game with a sprained right ankle. He is day to day.
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