Kuminga’s ‘gift’ comes to life off Warriors’ bench vs. Pelicans originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Although the numbers suggest otherwise, Jonathan Kuminga didn’t see much difference between his breakout game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday and the Warriors’ three previous contests.
From Kuminga’s vantage, the only difference was that the same shots he had been taking and missing started falling. Golden State’s big man combined with Lindy Waters III to lead a dominant night by the Warriors’ bench.
Kuminga scored a season-high 17 points to go with three assists and two steals and a blocked shot in the Warriors’ 124-106 win at Chase Center.
“Because I scored more, that’s why it seems like I had a flow,” Kuminga said. “I did the same thing as Game 2, 3 … still attacking the rim, putting pressure [on opponents]. Today things went in. Looks like I’m doing something else, but it shouldn’t be that way. My gift and my nature is to attack the rim as much as I can.”
Kuminga’s game always has been centered around his aggressiveness for getting to the rim with ferocity, something that has made him one of the best players in the NBA when it comes to attacking down the lane.
Until Tuesday, however, those moments had been few and far between this season. Through Golden State’s first three games, Kuminga had taken a total of 24 shots while deferring to the other starters.
After getting a text from the Warriors before the game notifying him that he would be coming off the bench against the Pelicans, Kuminga didn’t make a fuss and instead funneled whatever frustrations he might have had into what was easily his best game of the young 2024-25 NBA season.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn’t seem too surprised. He said he made the decision to move Kuminga to the bench for spacing reasons.
“I wanted a little more spacing, and I knew it would be a JK game,” Kerr said. “I knew he would play a lot because he’s played well against [the Pelicans]. The matchups are good for him.”
Kuminga almost chuckled at Kerr’s last sentence.
“I tend to play well against anybody,” he said.
That wasn’t the case in the Warriors’ first three games, when Kuminga scored 10, two and 12 points, respectively, against the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers.
Coming off the bench wound up being somewhat of a blessing in disguise. He played 28 minutes, six more than he did in any of the first three games, and helped key Golden State’s bench to a 54-30 scoring advantage over the Pelicans.
“I thought JK was great,” Kerr said. “We’re going to need him obviously. He is our most athletic player. He’s got great size, and there’s games like tonight where we have to have him, and others games where maybe things aren’t going his way, and that’s all right. Just because the first three games didn’t go his way, we’ve got 78 more now.
“I’m very confident JK is going to make a huge impact for us.”
Kuminga didn’t seem bothered much, if at all, by having to come off the bench. He tried to maintain the same attitude and approach that he has taken into every game.
“We have ups and downs, not every game is your game,” he said. “Today was just exactly the same, but it was one of my nights. I wouldn’t say it was my best night.”
Maybe not, but the Warriors will take nights like these from Kuminga every game if they can get it.