Rowan Kavner
OAKLAND – The scratch next to Jared Cunningham’s eye was the mark of a player unafraid to drive into the lane when given an atypical opportunity.
After notching only 15 total minutes of preseason action entering Tuesday’s game, Cunningham took advantage of the start with Chris Paul getting the night off and poured in 23 points in a game-high 39 minutes of playing time.
Cunningham came into the game with 11 points in the preseason and tripled that total with his play. He went 2-of-5 from three-point range and 9-of-12 from the line, leading the team in free throws made and attempted. The scratch between his right eye and his nose came as a prequel to getting to the line, when he said he was hit a couple times while driving the lane.
“It’s been a while since I really played,” Cunningham said. “I was given an opportunity to go out there tonight to go out and start and tried to take advantage of the situation that presented itself.”
Head coach Doc Rivers said Cunningham “got mauled three or four times” without getting a call. That may have had something to do with his six turnovers, which Rivers said was also the result of a lack of experience and command of the offense.
Rivers said there were times when Cunningham wasn’t sure what to call, but not having Paul or Blake Griffin suit out may have played a role in that. Overall, he was pleased with what Cunningham brought to the table going against the likes of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, among others.
“I was really happy with him,” Rivers said. “I was happy with his defense overall. We didn’t trap Curry tonight at all. When we play him, we usually do. I just wanted to see if he could fight through the screens, and I thought he did for the most part.”
Cunningham also thought he played well but wished the team could have come out with a win. It may be the preseason, but Cunningham knows this is the time that he has to shine. On a night in which he lit up the stat sheet, he also would have liked a couple plays back that resulted in turnovers.
“Just some things I have to fix and clean up,” he said. “Just be patient a little more, I think that’s it. Some of the stuff was forced. When the coaches told me, I had seen it. Just going to look at the footage and see what I can do better.”
Rivers said he knew this would be a tough night for him going against that competition, but that’s something Cunningham has to expect going forward.
“There’s a hard night in our league every night,” Rivers said. “We play tomorrow, and that’s going to be hard if he played the whole game. It’s a hard league for guards right now. He did a good job. I thought he showed himself well.”
RELATED CONTENT