Watch: In first playoff start, Warriors’ Gary Payton II throws down
monster dunk
Gary Payton II posterizes Desmond Bane in first quarter of Game 1 of
Warriors-Grizzlies playoff series
>MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – MAY 1: Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II (0)
dunks against Memphis Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane (22) in the first quarter
of Game 1 of the team’s NBA basketball second-round playoff series at
the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Nhat V.
Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
>MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – MAY 1: Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II (0)
dunks against Memphis Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane (22) in the first quarter
of Game 1 of the team’s NBA basketball second-round playoff series at
the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Nhat V.
Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
By ALEX SIMON | asimon@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: May 1, 2022 at 1:28 p.m. | UPDATED: May 1, 2022 at 3:10 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/05/01/watch-in-first-playoff-start-warriors-gary-payton-ii-throws-down-monster-dunk/

Gary Payton II got the call to start for the Warriors in Game 1 of the
Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday — and may have already had the
highlight play of the series, too.

Starting his first playoff game of his career, the 6-foot-3 guard
posterized Desmond Bane, elevating for a monster dunk over the
Grizzlies’ 6-foot-5 guard.

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Golden State Warriors
@warriors
oh
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GOODNESS

📺 #NBAonABC
[video]

1:06 PM · May 1, 2022
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With 7:28 left in the first, Payton set a screen for Stephen Curry
beyond the 3-point line on the left wing and rolled to the hoop, getting
the pass when his defender went to double-team Curry. Payton then put
down one dribble and jumped for the dunk as Bane came to try and help
stop Payton, but that help proved to be costly.
After the dunk, Payton tapped his head while looking back at Bane,
letting Bane know that he had thrown it down on him.

Payton started 16 times for the Warriors in the regular season but
hadn’t started in any of the five games against the Nuggets, his first
career playoff action. In his first six minutes of action, Payton picked
up two fouls and went to the bench for the rest of the quarter.

Payton has had several big dunks throughout the season, despite being
only 6-foot-3. His leaping ability has led to several stunning plays on
both the offensive and defensive end, including some blocks of Nuggets’
7-foot center Nikola Jokic in the first round.

But Sunday’s dunk — on a national broadcast in the second round of the
playoffs — may be his biggest highlight-reel play yet.

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Warriors on NBCS
@NBCSWarriors
GP2 OVER DESMOND BANE 😱
[video]

1:09 PM · May 1, 2022
1K Reply Share
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After flying in to Memphis late Saturday for a mid-afternoon Sunday
tip-off, the Warriors had a sluggish start and were trailing 32-24 after
one quarter.

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Alex Simon