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The Washington Wizards won 121-115 against the New York Knicks with an injury-depleted roster on Monday night. Gary Payton II, fresh off the South Bay Lakers of the G League, played a strong role off the bench scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the victory.
There's magic in the Garden! ✨
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) December 24, 2019
Gary Payton II is the first ever reserve with this stat line!
: 10p | 11r | 5a | 6s#WizKnicks | #RepTheDistrict pic.twitter.com/DFiJxe0f7e
Payton didn’t just put up considerable numbers in 35 minutes. He also shot 4-of-8 from the field and stole the ball SIX times! Yes, Payton is the son of an NBA legend with the same name. Dad is certainly impressed.
Wizards head coach Scott Brooks was visibly impressed with Payton’s performance in postgame interviews, but noted that this is one game. Payton will probably not continue to get double doubles in his sleep for the next couple weeks. And he may not even be in a Wizards uniform for much longer. But this performance certainly shows Payton’s skillset and potential.