Tragedy strikes the Warriors! Well, they were hoping to shake off Monday’s loss against the Pacers tonight as they faced the Lakers for the Christmas Day encounter. And they even got a major advantage when Anthony Davis left the floor early with an unfortunate injury. However, Stephen Curry and Co. could not capitalize as the score remained close for most of the night. Moreover, they suffered a massive setback when Gary Payton II was forced to leave the game early in the fourth quarter.

The incident occurred at the 9:34 mark of the final period. As Steph passed the ball to GP II, the backup guard saw an open lane and drove to the basket for an easy layup. Although he added two points to the board, Payton landed awkwardly and began limping as he ran back on defense. When JJ Redick called a timeout following the basket, GP II immediately limped off to the locker room.

That’s a scary sight because he has been dealing with a calf issue and chances are that he might have re-aggravated it on that play. Adding to the concerns, Payton did not return for the remainder of the game.

His night ended early with only 4 points and one rebound on seven minutes of play. Obviously, this is a massive blow for the team because GP II has remained healthy for most of the season and become a key asset for Steve Kerr, averaging 4.7 points and nearly three rebounds. If he misses time because of the injury, the Warriors’ depth will get affected, as was evident when he left tonight’s game.

Warriors lose thriller after Gary Payton II’s exit as Austin Reaves comes in clutch

When AD injured his ankle in the first quarter and was ruled out for the night, Dub Nation expected it to be an easy victory for the Warriors. But LeBron James kept his team in the game with his epic performance. And after Payton got injured, the Lakers used that to their advantage and attacked Kerr’s defense even more.

Well, Stephen Curry almost saved the day when he shot an insane three-pointer to tie the game in the final seconds. However, Austin Reaves turned out to be the hero of the night as he scored the game winning bucket, which was an isolation drive to the basket. Moreover, Reaves made up for AD’s absence by dropping a 26-point triple-double. Had GP II been available, Kerr might have put him on the floor for the final play to get a defensive stop. Unfortunately, that was not an option and the Lakers stole one on the road from their rivals. A thriller indeed!