What the Warriors are saying about Gary Payton II’s injury and Dillon
Brooks’ suspension
Golden State Warriors react to Gary Payton II's injury that earned
Dillon Brooks a one-game suspension
>MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – MAY 3: Memphis Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks (24)
fouls Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II (0) in the first quarter of
Game 2 of an NBA basketball second-round Western Conference playoff
series at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.
Brooks was ejected after the foul. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
>MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – MAY 3: Memphis Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks (24)
fouls Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II (0) in the first quarter of
Game 2 of an NBA basketball second-round Western Conference playoff
series at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.
Brooks was ejected after the foul. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: May 5, 2022 at 4:29 p.m. | UPDATED: May 5, 2022 at 4:52 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/05/05/what-the-warriors-are-saying-about-gary-payton-iis-injury-and-dillon-brooks-suspension/

SAN FRANCISCO — The NBA on Thursday suspended the Grizzlies’ Dillon
Brooks one game for his hard foul on Gary Payton II during Game 2 of the
Western Conference semifinals that left the Warriors guard with a
fractured left elbow.

Payton will miss the remainder of the Warriors’ series against Memphis
and, if they advance, likely all of the Western Conference Finals. Game
3 is Saturday night at Chase Center and the series is tied at one game
apiece.

After Game 2, Warriors coach Steve Kerr called the foul “dirty,” said
Brooks “broke the code” and lamented journeyman Payton having to miss
his moment to make a name for himself. A one-game suspension doesn’t
make up for Golden State’s loss, and Payton’s lost opportunity. This was
his first playoff appearance.

“Doesn’t matter,” Kerr said on Thursday. “Gary’s out for the next
foreseeable future, for weeks. That’s the only thing that matters to us.”

Asked if he thought the one-game suspension was enough, Kerr said:
“Ultimately it’s the league’s decision. It’s out of my hands. I’m not
going to speculate on that. They have to decide what they’re going to
do. If that’s their decision, we’ll go with that.”

Payton was at the facility with his teammates, but Kerr said he was
“crushed” to be out of the action.

“Six years toiling away in the league, as I said the other night, in the
spotlight,” he said. “Playing in the playoffs. That’s all been taken
away from him. We all feel terrible for Gary. He deserves better.”

Otto Porter Jr. learned of the suspension when reporters asked him about
it after the Warriors practice on Thursday at Chase Center, saying “it
is what it is.” Kevon Looney echoed that sentiment.

“You never know what’s going to happen with a flagrant foul,” he said.
“We don’t really think about it. We’re just glad Gary is OK. Not as bad
as it could have been. But we just have to see the game plan and go with
the flow.”

But the team will be tasked with adjusting to life without Payton. That
means figuring out new ways to limit Ja Morant’s scoring. Andre Iguodala
won’t be able to help — he is battling a neck injury that will sideline
him for at least the next two games and possibly Game 5. Andrew Wiggins
and Draymond Green may see increased responsibilities one-on-one against
Morant and Jonathan Kuminga may see more minutes, too.

“We’re going to have to have guys step up in Gary’s absence and JK can
be one of them,” Kerr said. “We can look at different combinations,
playing Looney more, but guarding Ja is a team effort. He’s a great,
great player so it’s not going to be one guy shutting him down. But a
team effort.”

Looney said the Warriors don’t expect to play more physical to up the
ante, with Kerr adding he thought they played physical in Games 1 and 2.

“I don’t know we have to do more. We will come out and play our style of
basketball,” Looney said. “We’ll be at home and use the energy of the
crowd. Play free and play our style. We play physical, but we don’t hang
our hat on that. We aren’t looking to go out there and do anything crazy
or hard fouls. We’ll play our game and hopefully it works for us.

“We feel like we’re one of the best teams in the league so we’ll go out
there and focus on that and what we can control.”

Green was a full-go at practice on Thursday despite a swollen eye,
injured when Green took an elbow to his face from Xavier Tillman in Game
2. Green got stitches mid-game and returned by the start of the second
quarter.

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Green said on his podcast that he saw an ophthalmologist about the swelling.

“He looks like he was in a boxing match but it’s getting a little
better, that’s part of being down in the paint,” Looney said. “We joke
you come down there you have to be ready for whatever.”

--
Shayna Rubin | Oakland Athletics reporter