Warriors Rumors: Gary Payton II Game-Time Decision for Finals Game 1 Due to Injury

Golden State Warriors wing Gary Payton II is reportedly a game-time decision for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday against the Boston Celtics, per Shams Charania of Stadium:

Payton hasn't played for the Warriors since suffering a broken left elbow in the team's second-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Payton was injured in Game 2 of that series as he attempted a layup. He was fouled hard by Dillon Brooks, crashing to the floor, and Brooks received a Flagrant 2 and was ejected. He was also suspended for Game 3.

The foul earned Brooks the ire of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.

"I don't know if it was intentional, but it was dirty," he told reporters at the time. "There is a code. This code that players follow where you never put a guy's season [or] career in jeopardy by taking somebody out in midair and clubbing him across the head, ultimately fracturing Gary's elbow... He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code."

Brooks said he wasn't trying to intentionally injure Payton after those remarks and said he wished he could take back the play. Payton, meanwhile, told reporters he's moved on from the incident and called it a "basketball play."

Getting back Payton would be a nice boost for the Warriors, especially on the defensive end. The 29-year-old has also averaged 6.1 points in 15.9 minutes per game this postseason, appearing in seven contests (two starts).

The Warriors are also hoping to get back Andre Iguodala (cervical disc injury) and Otto Porter Jr. (left foot soreness) in time for the start of the NBA Finals. The veteran Iguodala has missed the last 12 games with his injury, while Porter was out the final two games of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.

"That's what we're aiming for but we'll have a better feel after the next couple of days of practice," Kerr told reporters Sunday about that trio returning for the Finals.