According to The Athletics' Shams Charania, Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II will miss at least three weeks with an elbow injury.
Payton II was diagnosed with a fractured left elbow and slight ligament damage.
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
On Tuesday, Payton II was injured in Game 2 of the Warriors' Western Conference Semifinal series against the Memphis Grizzlies. While going up for a layup early in the first quarter, Payton II was knocked to the floor awkwardly by Memphis' Dillon Brooks. Brooks was given two technical fouls and ejected from Game 2.
After review, Dillon Brooks has been assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for this play on Gary Payton. His night is over.#NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/2WQLOL5qJn
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 4, 2022
When asked about Brooks' flagrant foul on Payton II, Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr didn't mince words.
"The line is pretty clear," Kerr said. "You don't hit a guy when he's in mid-air, club him and break his elbow. That's where the line is."
In seven playoff games this season, Payton II has averaged 6.1 PPG, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 16 minutes per game.
The five-year veteran averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in 71 games during the regular season.
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