Payton II: Also, for the record: There’s no bad blood between me and Dillon Brooks. After we closed out Game 6, I got word that he wanted to talk outside the locker room, and when I got there he apologized. I give Dillon a lot of credit for that — no text, no social media, nothing indirect. He came in person, and we talked like grown men. He told me he didn’t mean to hurt me. I believe him.
More on Gary Payton II Injury
Payton II: So, no, I’m not mad. I feel like maybe the whole world thought I was mad, though. Because once that game ended, my phone started blowing up — everyone tapping in and checking on me, making sure I wasn’t too upset or too down or whatever. And of course everyone with the Warriors, they’re all such good people and had my back, no question. I had a lot of people pissed on my behalf. And I love them for that. But I was good.
Melissa Rohlin: Gary Payton II (fractured left elbow) has started to do various light individual on-court activities and will be re-evaluated in one week. Andre Iguodala (disc injury in his neck) continues to show progress and an update will come when he’s cleared to practice.
Connor Letourneau: GPII on when he first got injured: "I thought I just hyper-extended it a little bit. ... I shot the free throws so I could be able to come back into the game. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to."
Kendra Andrews: Gary Payton II calls the play that involved Dillon Brooks, that resulted in Payton breaking his elbow and Brooks being suspended, an "NBA playoff foul." "Just didn't catch myself. And then you know, things happen. But it's past me, behind me."
Mark Haynes: 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.”
Kendra Andrews: Payton is emphasizing that the one thing he needs to get back on the court is time. Says he's feeling better, but isn't putting any date on a possible return.
Kendra Andrews: Kerr says the Warriors are not ruling Gary Payton II out of the entire Western Conference Finals. “It would be a long shot for him to play, but I think it’s a possibility.”
Anthony Slater: Gary Payton II at shootaround in Memphis with that big brace on his left arm pic.twitter.com/sPcGtjy6RT
Vincent Goodwill: Dillon Brooks in his first comments since the flagrant foul on Gary Payton II. “If I could take it back, I would. It’s in the past.”
Mark Medina: Dillon Brooks: "It's a fast paced game. Stuff happens. Guy jumps up in the air and guys can contest shots. Sometimes the way is, guys can fall down." Brooks added, "it's a tough play; if I could take it back, I would."
Ohm Youngmisuk: Dillon Brooks on Steve Kerr saying he broke the code: “I don’t even really know what that means. It’s the playoffs… every play counts. So I don’t know what that means.”
Brandon Clarke joined "The Lowe Podcast" and revisited the flagrant 2 that resulted in Gary Payton II fracturing his elbow. “Playoff ball is tough. There’s so many emotions, there’s so much going on, and everybody wants to win so bad. I think players can get caught up in that and kind of act out when they shouldn’t act out. I think Dillon obviously feels bad, I haven’t really talked with him much, but I saw that Gary is injured from the play.
“I watched it again, and Dillon definitely fouled him way too hard and did something that he shouldn’t have done. But it’s tough. There’s obviously falls every game that could definitely result in somebody getting hurt, but you really don’t want to see somebody get hurt off a flagrant, obviously. I know that Dillon feels bad. It’s just a real bad part of the game, but hopefully, we all can move on from that.”
The series between the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors has been entertaining with the makings of a budding rivalry. The Grizzlies have emphasized playing physical in this series, which was something Warriors coach Steve Kerr noted before Game 2. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins believes that the physicality is being mistaken for dirty play. He noticed a narrative calling the Grizzlies' players dirty, so he addressed those thoughts after Thursday's practice.
"I look at my locker room and I look at our culture and what we exude, we're the furthest thing from dirty," Jenkins said. "We're competitive, so I want that to be squashed pretty quick here."
"It's a tough play," Jenkins said. "We obviously wish Gary Payton II a speedy and healthy recovery. It's very unfortunate what happened there."
Anthony Slater: Gary Payton II sighting at Warriors practice today. Has that injured left elbow tucked behind the door as he watches. pic.twitter.com/5SGtjCBx3d
Marc Stein: Warriors say Gary Payton II is out at least two weeks. pic.twitter.com/yarZItYcDZ
Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II is expected to miss approximately a month with a fractured left elbow, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday. The possibility that Payton could return for the NBA Finals remains, but only if the Warriors advance in the playoffs. Payton was injured when Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies chased him down from behind on a fast-break layup and hit the Warriors guard in the head in the air with 9:08 left in the first quarter of Game 2 on Tuesday. Payton went down hard and remained on the court for several minutes. After officials reviewed the play, Brooks was ejected.
Jason Dumas: GPII addresses his elbow injury on IG: “I’ll be back.
Chris Haynes: Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II will be sidelined 3-to-5 weeks with an elbow fracture, league sources tell @YahooSports, @NBAonTNT.
Shams Charania: 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.
“Everybody’s going to fight for everything, but there’s a code in this league,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said, referencing the sequence that injured Payton and resulted in Brooks’ ejection. “You never put a guy’s season slash career in jeopardy by taking someone out in midair, clubbing him across the head and, ultimately, fracturing Gary’s elbow. “This is a guy who has been toiling the last six years trying to make it in this league. He finally found a home. Playing his butt off this year. In the playoffs. This should be the time of his life, and a guy comes in and whacks him across the head in midair. He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code.”
Anthony Slater: Steve Kerr on the Dillon Brooks foul: "The line is pretty clear. You don’t hit a guy when he’s in midair, club him and break his elbow. That’s where the line is."
Anthony Slater: Steve Kerr screaming down at the Memphis bench after that Dillon Brooks foul and ejection: "Get the f*** out of here." Klay Thompson: "That's bull****." As upset as I've seen them at a foul.
Connor Letourneau: Gary Payton II shot his free throws — and made one of them — with a broken elbow. He might not have been raised in Oakland, but he's got some Oakland in him.
Kendra Andrews: Andrew Wiggins and Nemanja Bjelica, who missed Wednesday’s game with an illness, practiced today. Questionable for Sunday. Gary Payton II (left knee) also practiced. Questionable for Sunday. Moses Moody (right shoulder) did not practice and is considered day to day.
Chris Haynes: Golden State Warriors defensive specialist Gary Payton II (left knee soreness) is targeting a return on Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs after being sidelined for two weeks, league sources tell @YahooSports.
Matt Velazquez: Gary Payton II is OUT for the rest of the game with a right ankle sprain.
