On Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors season will be on the line when they take on the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center in their first game of the NBA’s play-in tournament. The winner will advance to the eighth-seed game, where they’ll take on either the New Orleans Pelicans or the Los Angeles Lakers in another elimination game.
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The Warriors are expected to come into the game against the Kings nearly at full strength. They rested superstar guard Stephen Curry and veteran Draymond Green in their win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday in what was potentially their final game at the Chase Center this season. The duo is expected to return to the lineup against the Kings, but one of the absentees, from the game against Utah, won’t feature against Sacramento.
Per the NBA’s latest injury report, veteran guard Gary Payton II hasn’t recovered from his calf injury and won’t suit up against the Kings in the Warriors’ do-or-die game against their state rivals. The 31-year-old has endured an injury-riddle campaign and featured only 44 times in the regular season.
Gary Payton II (calf) ruled out for Play-In Tournament.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) April 15, 2024
He had seemingly gotten past his injury woes and played 15 straight games before hurting his calf against the Los Angeles Lakers and missing the Warriors’ last three regular-season games. The Dubs will have to extend their season without their veteran forward.
Warriors’ record with Gary Payton II
Gary Payton II has been a vital defensive presence, off the bench, for the Warriors this season. He hasn’t contributed heavily on the offensive end, averaging only 5.5 points and 1.1 assists, but his contributions on defense have been the key to the Warriors’ success.
The team’s record with and without Payton reflects his importance. They are 27-17 with him in the lineup and 19-19 without the veteran guard. Per Statmuse, in the 44 games Payton featured, the Warriors held their opponents to 112.25 points per game and gave up 118.5 on average in the 38 he missed. They had a 2-1 record in the regular season against the Kings with the veteran forward and lost the only game they played against Sacramento without the 31-year-old star.
Payton played a pivotal role in helping the Warriors keep their season alive, but they’ll have to extend it to at least one more game without him. It’s unclear whether he’ll be fit for the eighth-seed game if the Warriors advance, but they’ll worry about that later and focus on beating the Kings and extending their campaign.
