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Fan favorite to return in major boost to Golden State Warriors

By Peter O'Keefe

Jun 13, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with guard Gary Payton II (left) after defeating the Boston Celtics in game five of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 13, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with guard Gary Payton II (left) after defeating the Boston Celtics in game five of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Gary Payton II is set to return to the Golden State Warriors lineup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, according to TNT’s NBA insider Chris Haynes. It will be the 30-year-old’s first game for the franchise since last year’s NBA Finals, and his first game since February 8 which was ironically against the defending champions.

Payton played just 15 games for the Portland Trail Blazers having dealt with offseason surgery after leaving the Warriors in free agency. Golden State re-acquired him in a four-team deal at the trade deadline last month.

The return of Gary Payton II will add further positivity and momentum to a Golden State Warriors team that’s riding a three-game winning streak.

Affectionately named ‘Young Glove’ or ‘The Mitten’, Payton became a fan favorite for the Warriors last season with his defensive intensity and ability to contain opposition guards. He averaged 17.6 minutes for Golden State last season, then 16.9 minutes during the postseason despite missing a period after a fractured elbow.

Gary Payton II receives his Golden State Warriors championship ring from Draymond Green earlier this season. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Gary Payton II receives his Golden State Warriors championship ring from Draymond Green earlier this season. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Payton will be thrown right into the cauldron with a huge game against the Timberwolves. Every matchup at this point has playoff implications, but this is even more so given Minnesota sit one spot behind Golden State in the race to secure a postseason berth without the play-in tournament. The Warriors are 1.5 games ahead and can add further space between themselves and three teams, including the Timberwolves, at a 37-37 record.

Former Timberwolf Andrew Wiggins remains out for personal reasons, but all eyes will be focused on star Minnesota duo Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. The latter returned from a long absence against the Atlanta Hawks last time out, knocking down the game-winning free-throws in the final seconds. He’s questionable though with the same calf issue that forced him out for so long, while Edwards is also questionable having missed the last three games with an ankle sprain.

Next. The statistic proving the impact of Gary Payton II ahead of Golden State Warriors return. dark

Golden State have won two of the three meetings between the teams this season, including a 109-104 victory in Minnesota on February 26. They’ll hope Payton’s return can provide extra energy to aid in their hopes of adding to their imposing 30-7 record at Chase Center.

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