Payton (abdomen) registered nine points (3-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one block across 15 minutes during Sunday's 99-96 loss to the Timberwolves.

Payton made the first appearance of his second stint with the Warriors, as he was a member of last season's title-winning squad before he then signed with Portland in the offseason, only to be traded back to Golden State in February. Before the deal was finalized, Payton was determined to be dealing with an abdominal injury, and after spending the past six weeks rehabbing and recovering, he was finally cleared to play Sunday. Opportunity opened up for Payton after Donte DiVincenzo proved ineffective against the Timberwolves' defense, and his shot was mostly on point in his 15 minutes of court time. Expect the defensive-minded Payton to hold a relatively small, yet consistent role in the Warriors' rotation the rest of the season.

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