SAN FRANCISCO — The patrons at Chase Center almost seemed to rise as one once Gary Payton II leapt off the bench and walked to the scorer’s table, but he had to wait a little longer before introducing himself to the NBA Finals.
“He kind of pump-faked me at first,” Payton jokingly said of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
One month and two days after fracturing his left elbow in Memphis, a few more seconds didn’t feel so bad. After all, he felt he was ready for Game 1 on Thursday night, but Kerr felt comfortable using him only in an emergency situation.