The Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics will face each other to battle for the Larry O’Brien trophy and luckily for Dub Nation, it seems they will have Gary Payton II back for the first game of the NBA Finals.
During the Stadium Finals preview, Shams Charania reported that Payton’s status has been upgraded to Game Time Decision.
Warriors guard Gary Payton II is trending toward a game-time decision for Game 1 of the NBA Finals vs. Celtics on Thursday, sources say. Reporting now on the @Stadium Finals preview show: https://t.co/OcjSd1S9AI
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 31, 2022
Payton suffered a broken elbow during the second round of the playoffs when Dillon Brooks tried to block his layup attempt but arrived late. After, Brooks was suspended a game, and Payton had to miss the remainder of the series. The Warriors went on to win in six games and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
The Warriors are now preparing for their sixth finals appearance in eight years and Payton can give them a physical perimeter defender and another option to come off the bench and contribute to the team’s title hopes.
In seven games played in the playoffs, Payton averaged 6.1 points, 3 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 15 minutes played per game.
