Kuminga takes giant leap toward ‘turning a corner’ in Warriors’ win

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Kuminga takes giant leap toward ‘turning a corner’ in Warriors’ win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – It is becoming apparent that Jonathan Kuminga is a thrill ride, by turns delightful and upsetting, incredible or unwatchable, with the Warriors hanging on and hoping and perhaps praying the highs become frequent enough to obscure the lows.

They got their wish Saturday night, as Kuminga’s game-high 34 points and nine rebounds rendered his errors irrelevant and allowed the Warriors to walk out of Chase Center with a 109-105 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

“He was fantastic,” coach Steve Kerr said. “This is exactly what we’re looking for. And it’s fun to see him deliver.”

If ever the Warriors wanted Kuminga to shine, it is now. He was coming off a dazzling performance Friday night – career-high 34 points, 10 rebounds – in a road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Every shot-caller and supporter on the Golden State payroll wanted nothing more than a satisfying encore.

Kuminga’s pattern of inconsistency is high among the factors keeping him from stardom. The internal belief his ability will level off will dictate his future with the franchise and, perhaps, his career in the NBA.

“I’m so impressed with JK,” Kerr said. “I just think he’s turning a corner.”

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Draymond Green has been a Kuminga booster from Day 1 and nothing has changed. He does not seem surprised with the ascent.

“One of the most talented guys on this team by far,” Green said of Kuminga. “It’s good to see him playing the way he’s playing. And we just need him to stay that aggressive. When he’s on the court, we’re going to feature him. It’s on him to do the rest. And he’s doing it. He more than capable.

“And he’ll continue to get better and continue to do more.”

Coming off the bench for the sixth consecutive game, Kuminga was a revelation throughout but turned nuclear in the fourth quarter. He played all 12 minutes, scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Yes, Kuminga embraced the role of closer. And succeeded at both ends,…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kuminga-takes-giant-leap-toward-052147907.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-12-29 05:21:00

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