Warriors guard Gary Payton II suffered {a partially} torn ligament in his left thumb in Golden State’s loss Tuesday in Miami, the workforce introduced Thursday.
Payton, 32, is dominated out for Friday evening’s recreation towards New Orleans — the identical recreation head coach Steve Kerr described as the largest of the yr. He’ll be re-evaluated in a single week. The Warriors have 10 video games left within the common season.
Payton had been enjoying arguably his finest, most constant basketball because the 2022 season main as much as the damage. He made himself a cog in Golden State’s rotation together with his stable two-way play and skill to work properly subsequent to Steph Curry, who could return Friday from a pelvic contusion that has stored him out for per week.
Since returning with a facemask after struggling a fractured bone in his nostril, Payton has averaged 11.3 factors and 1.3 steals in 21.9 minutes over his final 9 video games. In that span, he has shot 54.5% from behind the 3-point arc.
Payton’s absence could open up extra enjoying time for Gui Santos and Jonathan Kuminga, who has had ups and downs since coming back from the extreme ankle sprain that sidelined him for 2 months.
The damage may even put extra accountability on Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski to defend on the ball, which they’ve every performed impressively because the workforce traded Andrew Wiggins for Jimmy Butler.
The Clippers leapfrogged the Warriors into sixth place within the West standings by beating the Knicks Wednesday evening. Each groups have a 41-31 file, however Los Angeles holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Golden State has acknowledged its aim as avoiding the play-in spherical, the place the workforce is 0-3 traditionally. The winner of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 spherical performs the second seed within the first spherical, and the second workforce to advance out of the play-in will face Oklahoma Metropolis, who has run away with the highest seed within the West.
