San Francisco, CA – In Game 2, Gary Payton II was injured by Dillon Brooks on a play many deemed as dirty. Steve Kerr said Brooks broke the code when he fouled Payton II while he was going up for a layup. The Warriors' guard landed awkwardly on his arm and fractured his elbow.
Sunday, Payton spoke with the media about the incident for the very first time. He is doing what he can to move past it, and he revealed that he and Brooks had a conversation.
“Yeah, we talked,” Payton told ClutchPoints. “It's all good. It's a basketball play. I know he didn't mean it, but no hard feelings, no bad blood. It's all good. It's playoff basketball.”
Gary Payton II said he spoke with Dillon Brooks.
“Yeah, we talked. It's all good. It's a basketball play. I know he didn't mean it, but no hard feelings, no bad blood. It's all good. It's playoff basketball.”
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) May 15, 2022
Besides hearing about how the Warriors guard felt about the play, he also updated the media about how he felt physically, and if he thinks he can return during the Conference Finals.
“We're getting better every day,” Payton said. “It's feeling better every day. But it's going to take time, and we're not trying to put a date on when I can, or when I can't, or whatever. So just taking it one day at a time.”
When players have a knee or foot injury, it takes longer for them to get back on the court because of conditioning. Since it's Payton’s elbow, he's able to run and do other activities with the team. Whenever he's ready, he should return without restrictions.
The Warriors aren't ruling out a return in the Conference Finals, but as of right now, it's a long shot.
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