Following a flagrant foul from Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 2 of the second round, Gary Payton II of the Golden State Warriors looked like he was done for the season.
However, following an MRI on Wednesday, there is now both good news and bad news that gives a glimpse at what’s ahead for the team’s newest starter.
Sources: MRI on Warriors guard Gary Payton II showed slight ligament damage along with his fractured left elbow. He will miss at least three weeks and has not ruled out a return in the NBA Finals.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 5, 2022
The bad news first: the MRI determined that Payton has a slight ligament along with a fractured left elbow.
The good news: while he will miss at least three weeks, he has not been ruled out from a Finals appearance.
That means that if the Warriors make it to the championship series, Payton may be alongside them.
A Physical Series
So far, the matchup between the Grizzlies and Warriors has been a pretty intense one.
The first game saw Golden State’s Draymond Green get ejected because of a controversial flagrant two.
Following that, Game 2 had the situation with Brooks and Payton.
Plus, Green was once again in the middle of things when he was sent to the locker room after receiving a bloody face when catching an elbow.
With each injury and foul, tensions are rising more and more.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was furious with the Payton injury and called out Brooks after the game, stating that he was “breaking the code” of hitting a player mid-air.
You can bet that when the series moves to the Bay Area, fans will let Payton hear it.
Both teams have been playing incredibly well so far, therefore it’s anyone’s guess who will win in the end.
But if the Warriors do pull out the victory they will still be without Payton – at least for a little bit longer.
NEXT: Draymond Green Has No Regrets About Game 2 Actions