Gary Payton II injury update: Warriors guard out for remainder of series vs. Grizzlies

Scott Rafferty

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Gary Payton II injury update: Warriors guard out for remainder of series vs. Grizzlies image

Gary Payton II left Game 2 of the Warriors' second-round matchup with the Grizzlies after suffering an elbow injury.

The injury occurred early in the game after Payton took a hard hit from Dillon Brooks, earning the Memphis forward a flagrant-2 foul and an ejection.

Payton stayed in the game to shoot his free throws, but he then exited and did not return.

Here is what we know about Payton's injury.

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What is Gary Payton II's injury?

Payton was quickly ruled out for the remainder of Game 2 with a left elbow injury. The Warriors later announced that he had a fractured elbow and would undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

The MRI revealed a fracture in his left elbow, as well as ligament and muscle damage.

After the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called Brooks' foul "dirty" and said he "broke the code."

Stephen Curry called it "out of line," while Draymond Green said it was a "bulls—" foul.

Will Gary Payton II play in Game 3?

On May 4, Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported that Payton will be sidelined for 3-to-5 weeks, taking him out for the remainder of the series against the Grizzlies.

The Athletic's Shams Charania added that Payton has slight ligament damage along his fractured elbow, but he has not ruled out a potential return for the NBA Finals should the Warriors reach that stage.

When Kerr was asked about how the Warriors will defend Ja Morant without Payton, he said the team hopes to get Andre Iguodala, who has been out with a neck injury, back for Game 3. However, it was announced on May 5 that Iguodala will be re-evaluated in one week, likely keeping him out for Games 3-5.

Morant is off to a dominant start in this series. He finished Game 1 with a near triple-double of 34 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. In Game 2, he scored 47 points while dishing out eight assists and grabbing eight rebounds.

Without Payton, Andrew Wiggins defended Morant the most in Game 2, followed by Klay Thompson and Curry.

Warriors vs. Grizzlies series schedule

Here is the full schedule for the second-round series between the Grizzlies and Warriors:

Date Game Time (ET)
May 1 Game 1: Warriors 117, Grizzlies 116 3:30 p.m.
May 3 Game 2: Grizzlies 106, Warriors 101 9:30 p.m.
May 7 Game 3 8:30 p.m.
May 9 Game 4 10 p.m.
May 11 Game 5 9:30 p.m.
May 13 Game 6* TBD
May 16 Game 7* TBD

*if necessary

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.