Over the course of the Golden State Warriors‘ dynastic run, the Dub Nation citizenry has been treated to incredible displays of grit and fortitude in the clutch on a multitude of occasions. Alas, none of those occurred during Game 4 of the club’s second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Despite having entered the final frame with an 84-77 advantage — and Stephen Curry‘s third career postseason triple-double notwithstanding — the Warriors fell at Crypto.com Arena by a 104-101 mark. As a result, the defending champs find themselves in a 3-1 hole heading back to the Bay.
That said, the effort level — particularly on the defensive side of the ball — was noticeably several notches higher than it had been during the Dubs’ embarrassing Game 3 loss.
And despite the team’s consecutive setbacks, Warriors guard Gary Payton II maintains that he and his cohorts continue to be in a positive head space.
Gary Payton II Says the Warriors Still Have ‘A Lot of Fight’ Left in Them vs Lakers
Probed by reporters for the pulse of the locker room in the wake of the loss, Payton made a point to say that the Warriors are still in a good place overall, they just need to execute better down the stretch next time out.
“It’s still positive,” Payton claimed, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “We know we have them down the line. We just gotta make more run late and just create that space. We’ve got to capitalize when we get turnovers, in transition, just capitalize on finishing the possession.”
For his part, Payton has something to feel good about — the 30-year-old’s performance was a clear silver lining amid the heartbreaking finish. Making just his third career postseason start, the veteran scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting while adding three rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes of action.
On the Warriors’ seemingly dire situation, Payton added: “We’ve got a lot of heart on this team, a lot of fight. So, back against the wall — we gotta come out swinging. We got a lot of guys right here [who are] ready and stay ready. So, we just gotta come out and hit first [during Game 5 on Wednesday].”
Regarding his brief, mid-play retreat to the locker room during the first quarter (which some are chalking up to him carrying around a mouthful of vomit) he assured the press corps, “I’m good. I’m good.”
Head Coach Steve Kerr Slammed for Not Bringing Payton Back Into the Game Late
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey just dropped his list of the Warriors’ most “inexcusable” mistakes during the team’s Game 4 loss. And Steve Kerr‘s rotation — including his decision not to reinsert Payton into the lineup during crunch time — drew hefty criticism. Wrote Bailey:
… This is to say nothing of the fact that Jordan Poole only played 10 minutes. Yes, he’s struggled throughout the postseason (including going 0-of-4 Monday), but he was an indispensable ingredient for the 2022 championship.
Or how about Gary Payton II leaving the game with 9:49 left in the fourth and never coming back? He started the game, went 7-of-9 from the field and finished as a plus-three. Seems like his perimeter defense could’ve come in handy against Walker, who erupted for 15 fourth-quarter points.
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Gary Payton II Speaks Out on Warriors’ Mindset After Game 4 Loss