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SAN FRANCISCO – Playing in just his second game after missing a month with a right calf injury, Gary Payton II was injured again in the Warriors' 121-115 win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday at Chase Center.
This time, it was Payton's left hamstring injury that forced him out of the game.
Payton was defending low under Orlando's basket when it appeared he was injured. He smiled and tore off his headband, then threw it into the crowd as he entered the locker room.
“I feel bad for him more than anything,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game. “I feel bad for us too, but mainly for him. I worked so hard to get back to this point. He's making such a big impact for us.”
“Fingers crossed he's not too late.”
Before suffering the injury, Payton led the way with 10 points with two points and four rebounds. After the match, participate An inauspicious job On social media. Payton's teammate Chris Paul expressed hope that the injury was not serious, and explained what the star defender means to the Warriors after Tuesday's win.
“It's tough,” Paul said. “He's a big part of our team. People may not realize it but his energy is constant, every day, in every practice, in every game. Having him back in our team has been great for us. I hope it's not the case.” Something that will take a long time. For him, it will just be about getting as healthy as possible.
“He's a competitor, I know how much he wants to play and how hard he's working to get back out there. We'll see what happens but it's unfortunate for someone like JB who works as hard as he does.”
Any extended absence would be a huge blow to the Warriors, who have been relying on Payton to breathe life into a defense that has had all sorts of problems this season.
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