Gary Payton II stole the show in the Warriors' 114-92 win over the Charlotte Hornets at Chase Center on Wednesday night. He injected energy into the team with a poster dunk in the first quarter, and sucked the life out of the Hornets' comeback attempt with his stupendous on-ball defense.
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Sitting on the bench all night, Klay Thompson had a front row seat to Payton's emerging performance. He was visibly impressed by the vicious dunk over Kelly Oubre Jr., and following the game, echoed a sentiment that many Warriors fans surely had expressed while watching Payton put the clamps on the Hornets in the second half.
Us, too, Klay. Us, too.
In speaking with reporters after the win, coach Steve Kerr confirmed that Payton will be getting more playing time moving forward. And eventually, Thompson won't be stuck on the bench, and instead will be back on the court. That's a day that Payton is very much looking forward to.
Golden State Warriors
"I can watch Klay Thompson shoot the ball all day long, and I can't wait to watch that all game long when he gets back," Payton responded when informed of Thompson's tweet by a reporter. "It's what I do, and when he gets back, I know that's what he's going to do. So, when we're on the court together, I'm sure it's going to be fun."
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Through the first seven games of the season, it sure looks like the Warriors are having a blast. And there's no reason to expect that to change in the near future.