MINNEAPOLIS – Defended by four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert in the corner, Jonathan Kuminga was going to pass the ball to Draymond Green or one of his more accomplished teammates midway through the third quarter of the teams’ playoff game in Minneapolis.
But facing one of the game’s greatest challenges, Warriors teammate Jimmy Butler told him to “Go” to work in isolation.
“You know what, this was the moment, so just make something good happen,” Kuminga said. “Just having Jimmy and Draymond (Green) telling me that shows big trust. I just had to make something happen.”
The 22-year-old forward rewarded their confidence as he took three hard dribbles and slithered past Gobert on the Target Center baseline.
Once he was within striking distance, Kuminga crushed a reverse dunk over the Frenchman for two points that cut the once formidable Minnesota lead to just 10.
Minnesota eventually pulled away for a 117-93 Thursday night victory that evened the series at 1-1
But during a game where the Steph Curry-less Warriors used 14 different players and struggled to find offense as their star sat with a hamstring injury, Kuminga provided a rare bright spot with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
“Attack. We need as many individuals attacking as we can,” Butler said when asked about his message to Kuminga. “You get in there and nobody helps, then score.”
Kuminga has had trouble finding his role since coming back from a severe ankle injury in March.
The scoring chances and featured role he enjoyed before the injury evaporated after the Jimmy Butler trade, and his gaffes – defensively, passing and in shot selection – were more glaring in limited opportunities.
Kuminga’s role and minutes fluctuated towards the end of the regular season before he was dropped completely for three games.
“I was very proud of the way he’s stayed ready, stayed positive,” coach Steve Kerr said. “This has not been an easy stretch for him, and he really came out and did a really great job today and showed what he’s made of. “
Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga (00) runs on the court during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)After Butler was injured in the second Houston game, He saw playing time for a couple games, was a healthy scratch for a few more, and then received a few minutes in the Houston finale and the Minnesota opener.
Even with Curry out, he had no idea he was going to play 26 minutes against the Wolves.
“I wasn’t going out there expecting so many minutes … I knew that one of these days my name was going to be called, and that I would just go out there and make the best of it,” Kuminga said.
On a night when Kuminga’s youthful teammates Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody were mired in an offensive funk, it was another seldom-used frontcourt player who gave the Warriors a spark.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, a second-year big out of Indiana, scored 15 points and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, giving Gobert fits with his rim-running and above-the-rim athleticism.
He and Kuminga said they have developed a friendship, which has helped the two stay positive as the minutes have become hard to find.
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As a member of the Green Machine, the group of deep reserves who generally only play when the game is well out of reach, Jackson-Davis showed he might deserve a larger role.
Kuminga is not part of the Machine, but he has guaranteed himself more minutes in Saturday’s Game 3 in San Francisco with his outstanding performance.
The Warriors will need him to continue to play well if they are to have any hope of staying afloat until Curry returns.
“Obviously he’ll be back out there for Game 3, and we’ll need him,” Kerr said.
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