Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 104-86 loss to Indiana Pacers
Do the Deux
Having latched on to the team late last year under a non-guaranteed deal, Gary Payton II knows his spot on the team is very much in jeopardy.
After putting in a fine outing earlier in the week, Payton stuffed the stat sheet on Wednesday night as he led the team in scoring with 15 points, hauled in seven boards, dished out five assists, had a block and a steal each and was a team-high +7 in nearly 20-and-a-half minutes.
As he is known to do, Payton played with great activity on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Payton capitalized off of cuts, making his way to the free-throw line (he was a perfect 6-6 at the stripe) and even hit a couple of jumpers, including one from downtown.
The Seattle native even tried to lock down what would have easily been the highlight of the night as he drove down the lane late in the game and attempted to dunk over Domantas Sabonis, only to end up drawing a foul and catching the rim instead.
GPII almost ended Domantas Sabonis in the battle of NBA sons pic.twitter.com/s2Wdld60w6
— Behind the Buck Pass (@BehindTheBucks) October 5, 2017
While it’s still hard to discern where the players fighting for the last roster spot rank, performances like Payton’s last night will surely go a long way in making the competition a little harder to decide for the team’s coaching staff and front office.