Kerr says Iguodala, Payton, Porter ready

Before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala would all be available to play Thursday night at Chase Center. Secondyear center James Wiseman excluded, the team is at full strength.

“It's time,” Kerr said. “I think our guys are ready to go.”

Kerr didn't speak about how those three would figure into the rotation, or how many minutes they were expected to play. Porter and Iguodala entered in the first half.

“We did a little bit of scrimmaging yesterday, and all three guys felt good this morning,” he said. “We'll see how it plays out. I think a lot of our decisions, especially here in Game 1, you've got to feel how the game is going, try to decide what combinations we need

out there.”

Payton hasn't played since suffering a fractured left elbow in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against Memphis. He was originally ruled out for a month and returned to full-contact action on schedule.

Payton told reporters on Wednesday that it was agonizing watching his teammates in the postseason and not be able to play and participate. Now the 29-year-old journeyman has the chance to contribute in time for the Finals.

“He's been working really hard,” Kerr said. “The good thing about injuring an elbow instead of a knee or an ankle is you can do all kinds of conditioning stuff while you're injured, while you're healing. Over the last few weeks I've watched him after every practice doing defensive slides and sprints and handling the ball with his off hand, and then slowly but surely he's been able to progress into left-handed layups and then short shots. ...

“It's inspiring to watch him work knowing how much he wants to play and how much this means to him given especially his journey and how much he's bounced around to get to this place.”

Porter didn't play in Games 4 or 5 of the Western Conference finals against Dallas because of left foot soreness. He was a combined plus-27 through the first two games against the Mavericks before suffering his latest injury in Game 3.

Iguodala, who has been out with a neck injury, returns to action for the first time since Game 4 of the Warriors' firstround series against Denver.

The Boston Celtics also provided updates on a pair of key players dealing with injuries. Marcus Smart (ankle) and Robert Williams III (knee) were both initially listed as questionable on Wednesday for Game 1. Both wound up starting Thursday night.