There was 4:45 remaining in the third quarter when Jonathan Kuminga finally made his first appearance on the court. Given how difficult it is for Kerr to balance all the minutes on a deep roster, he hadn’t even been included in the coach’s pregame planning for the Portland game.
In order to counter the Trail Blazers’ youthful energy and athleticism, the Golden State Warriors needed every ounce of performance from the explosive Kuminga in the closing minutes. Kerr made a wise choice.
On Wednesday night, the Warriors overcame a poor start by Stephen Curry to score 31 points, while Kuminga starred with 13 points as the team battled back to defeat Portland 110-106.
“I am always prepared,” Kuminga declared.
With 1:03 remaining, Kuminga dunk on a nice alley-oop from Draymond Green and connected on all six of his field goals. Additionally, with 29 seconds remaining and his team leading 105-104, Kuminga stole the ball from Toumani Camara, setting up a three-pointer for Curry.
“He was excellent, the game’s vital component, and he never faltered. Regarding Kuminga, Kerr remarked, “He was out of the rotation simply because it’s difficult to play 10 guys.” It was clear that we needed him. JK was essential for the game, but we also needed to be able to match Portland’s youth and athleticism.
Leading the Trail Blazers with 28 points was Anfernee Simons. With 1:18 left, Shaedon Sharpe added 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists, but he missed the free throw.
Just 10 of the Warriors’ 34 shots were made from long range, with five coming from Curry. Klay Thompson, his splash brother, was held to just 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting, which included 1 of 8 three-pointers. With 4:49 remaining, he had an opportunity to tie it from behind the arc, but he missed it. However, at 1:59, he made a crucial layup.
On a night when the Warriors welcomed back Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins from injury, Golden State committed 17 turnovers, which resulted in 23 points for Portland. Paul missed the previous two games due to a contusion in his lower left leg nerve, while Wiggins missed the same two games versus the Clippers due to discomfort in his right finger.
With 3:37 remaining in the third quarter, Kuminga’s steal and transition slam gave the Warriors a 77-74 lead. With 10:31 remaining in the game, Dario Saric tied the score at 86 with a layup, then at 9:26, he scored a three-pointer.
Kuminga stated, “As young guys, that’s our job—doing whatever I just did out there.” “As the younger guys, it is our responsibility to support and energize our team.”
In the Blazers’ final game of a five-game road trip, Camara pulled down 13 rebounds in their first meeting of the season against the Warriors. When the teams were ousted from the In-Season Tournament, this game was added to the schedule.
