NBA notes: Warriors guard Klay Thompson expects medical clearance to play

Golden State guard Klay Thompson is one step away from being cleared to play in the NBA Finals.

Thompson, who returned to practice Monday, said he feels great and is just waiting on final clearance from doctors under the NBA’s concussion protocol to play in Game 1 against Cleveland on Thursday.

“I expect to be (cleared),” said the former Washington State star. “I’m well on my way there. I haven’t been cleared yet, but I fully expect to be in the next couple days.”

Thompson suffered a concussion after getting kneed in the head by Houston’s Trevor Ariza in Golden State’s Western Conference finals-clinching win Wednesday night.

“It looked much worse than it was,” Thompson said. “I only had one tough night, and that was the night of the game. I just had a headache until I went to sleep. But I woke up the next morning feeling all right.”

He said Ariza told him after the game the hit wasn’t intentional – and Thompson didn’t think it was, either.

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving has been kept out of portions of practice as the team tries to get him ready for the finals.

Irving has been slowed by left knee tendinitis and a sprained right foot throughout the playoffs. He sat out two games in the Eastern Conference finals because of his knee.

Irving said he won’t be 100 percent in the finals “unless something miraculous happens.”

Bulls plan announcement

Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg flew to Chicago to meet with the Bulls about their coaching vacancy, and the NBA team said it would have a major announcement today.

“I want to apologize to everybody just for the way that it’s all gone down and everything that’s been reported out there and all the rumors and the speculation that’s been thrown around. It’s been very difficult to deal with that,” Hoiberg said.