Gary Payton II eliminated by Kings in NBA Play-In Tournament – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

The Warriors' path to a first-round playoff series will continue without a key player.

Gary Payton II will miss Tuesday's win-or-go-home NBA play-in tournament against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center, Warriors coach Steve Kerr confirmed to reporters on Monday. And if Golden State beats Sacramento and advances to its second play-in game against the loser of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game, Payton will miss that game as well.

Payton missed the final three games of the 2023–24 NBA regular season due to a calf injury.

The winner of Tuesday's play-in game will face the loser of the Los Angeles Lakers-New Orleans Pelicans game on Friday for one last chance at the playoffs.

Kerr said if the Warriors are still alive after Friday, Payton will be reevaluated over the weekend.

“If we advance, we hope he can play in the first round,” Kerr said.

Payton played in just 44 games this season, averaging 5.5 points on 56.3 percent shooting as well as 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists. His impact goes beyond mere statistics, however, as his defensive prowess and outstanding athleticism will certainly be missed by the Warriors this week.

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