Gary Payton II helps save the day for the Wizards against the Knicks

July 11, 2024

NEW YORK — Gary Payton II didn't feel nervous before he realized a childhood dream of playing at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. He only felt exhausted.

Payton completed a whirlwind tour after signing with the Washington Wizards earlier in the day. He spent part of his weekend as a G League player in Las Vegas and then started the new week with the Wizards in New York. Payton learned about the New York Knicks' basic schemes during a team breakfast meeting and studied Washington's transition offense an hour before tip-off.

Still, he overcame the physical fatigue and mental cram session to make history in the Wizards' 121-115 win over the Knicks.

As Washington (9-20) snapped a three-game losing streak with only eight healthy regulars, Payton played 34 minutes and finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, six steals and five assists, becoming the first player in NBA history to come off the bench and post those numbers.

"Jet-lagged," Payton said, describing his feeling before the game. "[But] first game in the Garden. I've been waiting to play in the Garden all my life, so this is a special one."

The Wizards held off a near collapse, keeping the Knicks (9-20) in check after having their 17-point fourth-quarter deficit whittled to three in the final minute. The win might have been unexpected considering the team had eight players on the injured list and another suspended for the game. More surprising? A freshly signed G League player coming to the rescue.

"We're shorthanded at a lot of positions and we just added a guy off the plane today, so it's like, 'What are the chances of them winning tonight?'" guard Bradley Beal said. "But I feel we did a good job coming out, playing hard, not worrying about who we had, who was on the floor, and not worried about who is playing for them because we know they had a few guys out, too. We just played our style and got the win."

Payton's performance did not shock his teammates. Beal developed a connection with Payton when Payton signed a 10-day contract last season, and he remembered Payton's defensive style from his brief stops in the NBA before shining in the G League.

"From playing against him when he was in Milwaukee ... he guarded me a lot. So he was one of their best defenders in guarding me," Beal recalled. "I know he's really good at that. I know he's really capable of being a dog."

Payton provided immediate support in the absence of Isaiah Thomas, who began serving a two-game suspension for entering the stands to confront two Philadelphia 76ers fans Saturday night.

Thomas's subtraction, on top of all of the injuries, forced the Wizards into a dilemma. They needed to get creative.

Payton was playing for the South Bay Lakers in the G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas. He produced his 13th double-double of the season Thursday night, then started talking to the Wizards over the weekend. That's when the whiplash started.

Payton said he caught a flight to Washington late Saturday night, and he underwent a physical Sunday morning before taking a train to New York.

By Monday, he discovered the No. 20 Wizards jersey — the same number his Hall of Fame father used to wear — hanging in his locker. The number wasn't his choice.

But Payton had more important things to worry about.

Roughly an hour before tip-off, Payton huddled inside the visitors' locker room at the Garden, studying a dry-erase board as assistant coach Robert Pack diagramed plays. This crash course aside, the Wizards had little time to acclimate their newest player. Thus his assignments remained simple: Move the ball, play defense, rebound.

Payton, who led the G League at 3.2 steals per game, immediately showed his strengths. With Washington trailing by 11 points in the first quarter, Payton stripped Knicks forward Bobby Portis of the ball, then pursued the loose ball and saved it from going out of bounds.

Later, Payton made the biggest defensive play of the night.

With the Wizards' lead down to three, the Knicks had the ball after a timeout with 24.1 seconds left. Washington needed a stop, and Payton disrupted Knicks forward Mitchell Robinson under the rim. Payton remembered from the morning meeting that he needed to crowd the 7-foot-1 Robinson on the block.

"The staff let me do what I do and let me rock," Payton said. "So the more time I played, the more comfortable I got."

Troy Brown Jr., who also had a breakthrough game, secured the rebound and then sealed the victory with two free throws with 4.2 seconds left, capping a night of career highs in points (26) and assists (seven) to go with nine rebounds.

Beal poured in 30 points on a career-high 38 shot attempts, and backup center Anzejs Pasecniks set a career high with 14 points.

But Payton stole the show.

"That's what G does. We grew up together, and I watched him for a long time. We play together during the summer," Brown said. "It was easy just to vibe off each other. And he's a great person off the court, too. He definitely deserves everything that's coming his way. He did a great job tonight."

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