What we learned as Kuminga’s career-high 33 fuels Warriors’ win

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What we learned as Kuminga’s career-high 33 fuels Warriors’ win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – In what was an NBA Cup quarterfinals preview between the Warriors and Houston Rockets, Golden State ended its five-game losing streak with a 99-93 win Thursday night at Chase Center.

Down Steph Curry (bilateral knee pain) and Draymond Green (left calf tightness) to injuries, Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins carried the load for the Warriors. Kuminga scored a career-high 33 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and Wiggins scored 22, giving them a combined 55 points.

A game featuring two of the NBA’s best defenses saw shooting struggles on both sides, making every point that Kuminga and Wiggins added even more valuable.

The Warriors have played 13 clutch games through their first 21 games this season, including seven straight and 10 of their last 11. This time, they held off their opponent instead of crumbling down the stretch.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors snapping their five-game losing streak.

Picking Up The Pieces

Whenever the Warriors are without Curry, others must provide more offense than usual. Kuminga appeared to be the one ready to jump into that bigger role, enjoying his second straight strong first quarter. Kuminga scored eight points on a mid-range jump shot and two 3-pointers to open the game.

But the offense stalled when he first came out. The Warriors were up 14-8 at the 3:44 mark as Kyle Anderson entered for Kuminga. The rest of the quarter with Kuminga on the bench, the Warriors were then outscored 14-4 and trailed 22-18 going into the second.

That’s when Wiggins turned it on. He scored just three points in the first quarter and missed two of three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point shot. But in the second, he knocked off early rust and scored 12 big points on 4-of-5 shooting while making both free throws, including one on a four-point play.

Kuminga and Wiggins combined to score 25 of the Warriors’ 43 points in the first half. A mere 53 seconds into the second half, a Kuminga layup forced a Rockets timeout as the Warriors led by 10 points….

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/learned-kumingas-career-high-33-054730204.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-12-06 05:47:00

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