After initially being waived before the start of the 2021-22 NFL season, Gary Payton II signed back with the Golden State Warriors for their final roster spot after he cleared waivers.
Behind gritty defense and explosive dunks, Payton II blossomed into one of the unsung heroes and key rotation pieces for the Warriors’ push to the postseason.
To close out the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the postseason, Payton II came through in the clutch. After going scoreless in game four, Payton II tallied a playoff-high 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor, including two timely 3-pointers.
With the Warriors trailing by a point with three minutes remaining, Payton II buried an open triple from the corner. The 29-year-old came through again with a dagger 3-pointer to extend Golden State’s lead to five with just over a minute remaining. With Payton II’s help, the Warriors punched their ticket to the next round of the postseason, eliminating the Nuggets in game five.
Following Golden State’s win in game five, LeBron James chimed in on Twitter with a shoutout for Payton II.
Via @KingJames on Twitter:
Game 🏀 @Garydwayne!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 28, 2022
Through five playoff games, Payton II is averaging 6.8 points on 70.6% shooting from the floor with 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 16.9 minutes per contest.
Before the start of the second round, Payton II and the Warriors will wait to find out the winner of the Memphis Grizzlies’ series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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