The Golden State Warriors (40-29) recovered from a head-scratching 114-105 home defeat to the undermanned Denver Nuggets and dispatched of the Milwaukee Bucks without Stephen Curry on Tuesday, earning a 104-93 victory. They will be without a different guard when they welcome in the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night. Pesky defender Gary Payton II is out with left knee soreness, according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater.
Considering the Raptors (24-45) are still without RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, the Warriors should be able to take care of business in the Chase Center. Even so, it is always good to have a key role player like Payton on the floor, especially since Curry looked out of sorts and fatigued when he competed against the Nuggets. He shot 6-of-21 with seven turnovers in the 114-105 loss. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr gave him the night off versus Milwaukee, so perhaps the greatest shooter of all time will be rejuvenated in this upcoming contest.
Regardless of how the Warriors fare against the embattled Raptors, however, they will probably need Payton and other bench pieces to be sharp in the final stretch of the regular season and during the playoffs. The son of Hall of Famer Gary Payton is averaging 6.5 points on 57.8 percent shooting with 0.8 steals in 14.8 minutes per contest this season. Kerr particularly values his defense. Injuries are often a concern, though.
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Payton has logged at least 70 games in a season just one time in his nine-year NBA career. Hopefully, he can get his knee right before the stakes go up a notch. Golden State sits in sixth place in the Western Conference, presently one game clear of the NBA Play-In Tournament picture. Gaining immediate entrance into the postseason without having to expend extra energy could be crucial for the squad's collective health.
Payton will look on from the bench as the Warriors try to wrap up their homestand with a win over Toronto. The action starts at 10 p.m. ET.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints, providing a unique writing voice due to his in-depth knowledge of New York sports. Alex resides in Connecticut after receiving his journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island.