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It looks like the Golden State Warriors have another man down with Gary Payton II getting injured early in the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite home-court advantage, the team is already without Draymond Green and Steph Curry and is struggling to find its way against the surging Thunder.
At 11:09 of the second quarter, Payton went for an inbound steal intended for Jalen Williams. As the former Oregon State Beaver tried for a quick bucket, he had to face 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren standing next to the rim.
Missing his first attempt, which was already fouled by Holmgren, Payton did not hear the whistle and tried a second attempt. His left foot landed on Holmgren's right foot and twisted it 90 degrees.
Payton left the game and was only able to log 7:35 minutes of playing time. In that span, he went 0-of-4 from the field but had one free throw made, one rebound and one steal.
According to Justin Phan of Underdog NBA, Gary Payton II is done for the night and won't return for the rest of the game:
Gary Payton II in the 2023-24 season for the Golden State Warriors
Gary Payton II after a short stint with the Portland Trail Blazers last season was traded back to the Golden State Warriors. In the 99 games that he has played for the Warriors since the 2020-21 season, he was able to contribute 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals.
He was recalled by the Warriors after missing his defensive tenacity and intangibles on the basketball court. As the son of former NBA DPOY and NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton, the hustle on the defensive side of the basketball court for both father and son has an uncanny similarity.
In the 11 games that Payton II played this season for the Warriors, he is averaging 6.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 assists. His best game so far this year came against the Houston Rockets where he had 15 points, four rebounds and three steals.
For the 2023-24 season, Payton II is set to earn $8.7 million and will have another year in his contract worth $9.1 million.
The Golden State Warriors just lost their matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder extending their losing streak to five games. They battle the same team two days after on Nov. 18 at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
