The Golden State Warriors will have to make do without one of their top bench pieces as they look to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

Warriors guard Gary Payton II is out for Game 7 of his team's first-round series against the Houston Rockets with an illness, according to a Sunday afternoon report from Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Payton, 32, has averaged 16 minutes per game this series. He started Game 6 on Friday, scoring five points and pulling down three rebounds in the Rockets' 115–107 win.

In his ninth year in the league, the veteran reserve averaged 6.5 points, three rebounds and 1.3 assists per game—slightly better numbers than his career averages.

Payton's absence comes amid a turning-point moment for Golden State as a franchise. The Warriors haven't advanced past the conference semifinals since 2022, and face an ascendant Houston team riding its best record in six years.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Top Warriors Reserve Out for Game 7 Against Rockets.

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