The Golden State Warriors have caught the injury bug with the 2025 NBA playoffs right around the corner.
Warriors battling without both injured point guards
Per CBS Sports’ Brad Botkin, Warriors point guard Gary Payton II is now out with a torn ligament in his left thumb. This comes on the heels of Stephen Curry going down with a pelvic contusion.
Curry suffered his ailment against the Toronto Raptors on March 20. The 37-year-old has missed the Warriors’ last two games.
Payton II’s injury compounds the Warriors’ troubles. The 32-year-old is one of the best perimeter defenders for the Dubs. He averages 0.8 steals per game on the season.
Warriors looking to halt skid with point guards banged up
Golden State has now lost their last two games. They went 16-3 in their previous 19 games prior to Curry going down. The Warriors are also 7-7 when Payton II sits.
Thus, with Curry expected to return on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Warriors will get their superstar facilitator back. As for Payton II, he’s out indefinitely.
The Warriors (41-31) have dropped from the No. 6 to the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. The Dubs will look to reclaim the final playoff spot from the Los Angeles Clippers (41-31) with 12 games left to play in the season.