Is Gary Payton II playing tonight? Latest updates on why Warriors guard will miss crucial Game 7 at Rockets

His numbers may not always show it, but Gary Payton II plays a significant role for the Warriors. 

The eight-year NBA veteran has built a reputation as one of the most athletic backcourt players in the league, a defense-first guard like his father once was. En route to Golden State's 2025 playoff berth, Payton played 15 minutes per game and made 11 starts in the regular season.

With the Warriors drawing the lengthy, physical Rockets, Payton's role as a defensive stopper became slightly more important in the first round. But if Steve Kerr's squad is going to continue its quest for a fifth title in 11 years on Sunday night, it will be without the standout defender.

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Here's why Payton is set to be sidelined for Game 7 between Houston and Golden State.

Is Gary Payton II playing tonight?

Payton played in the first six games of the Warriors vs. Rockets series, notably scoring 16 points in a Game 3 win and logging five total steals.

The guard is not injured — but he has been ruled out for Game 7 of the first-round matchup, a massive game for the Warriors, for obvious reasons. Payton woke up sick on Sunday morning, Kerr said, and isn't going to be healthy enough to play basketball.

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“He’s just sick as a dog,” Kerr said pregame, per The Mercury News. “He woke up ill, and didn’t go to shootaround, and he hasn’t eaten. No way he can play.”

Kerr didn't made an announcement of who would help fill Payton's role in the rotation for Game 7. However, there's a real chance that Jonathan Kuminga, a young and emerging player that has seen his development halted by limited minutes this season, will have a significant role to play in the do-or-die game.

Athleticism and defensive physicality, two things Payton offers, are critical for Golden State against a Houston team that boasts more size and athletic scorers like Jalen Green and Amen Thompson. 

The Warriors will be a bit shorthanded in Game 7, and even if they advance to the second round, Payton's status will be worth monitoring.

Gary Payton II playoff stats

Payton, who started for the Warriors in Game 6 and played 20 minutes, has been with the team for three playoff runs now. He was a member of Golden State's 2022 title squad.

Here's a look at his playoff numbers in three trips: