SACRAMENTO – For one night at least, Jonathan Kuminga had the type of game that Warriors fans have been expecting ever since he entered the NBA as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Kuminga put together a very respectable stat line in the Warriors’ 121-116 loss to the Kings at Golden 1 Center – 24 points and game-high-tying nine rebounds in 25 minutes – but it was the way the night went down that stood out most.
The Warriors were without their three best players and needed someone, anyone, to step up and take over.
Kuminga pretty much did just that for most of the evening. Like his Golden State teammates, though, everything went haywire in the fourth quarter.
Until then, however, Kuminga was all that and a bowl of grits.
“Jonathan attacked, he was aggressive,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We got him the ball quite a bit. He helped us get off to a great start. Really gave a fantastic effort.”
The best part was that there was no indication beforehand that Kuminga would have this type of night.
It came 24 hours after a dreadful showing in a win over the Phoenix Suns when Kuminga had nine points in just over 24 minutes. Three nights before that, Kuminga had 17 points and five rebounds but was minus-20 in a road loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Additionally, the Warriors played without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, who are all nursing injuries or sickness.
That put more pressure on the Warriors’ other players to pick up the slack, though Kuminga claimed nothing changed in his mind.
“My mindset is always the same no matter (with or without) Steph, Jimmy and Draymond,” Kuminga said. “Every time I play with them they want me to be aggressive. My mindset is always the same. Just come in, find a way to win.”
Kuminga did all of that except for getting the W, something Kerr said was part of a team-wide issue.
“The lesson for him and for our team is just how important every possession is,” said Kerr, whose squad committed 19 turnovers leading to 30 points for the Kings.
For Kuminga, however, the game was another important step forward in his NBA evolution.
“I think we came out with great energy,” said Kuminga after notching his third 20-point game of the season. “In the third quarter, we just started turning the ball over. That took the energy out of all of us. We just gotta find a way to execute certain plays.”
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