Jonathan Kuminga closed the final 17 minutes of Wednesday's 110-106 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers and his production down the stretch was vital in the Warriors' double-digit comeback.
After playing zero minutes in the first half, Kuminga subbed in with 4:45 remaining in the third quarter. Immediately, the Warriors went on a 10-0 run and Kuminga made his mark on both ends of the floor, stealing a Matisse Thybulle bounce pass and finishing with a break-away dunk on the other end. The third-year forward led the team with two steals.
Jonathan Kuminga with the must-see play!
"We are the young guys; we're supposed to help our team bring energy," Kuminga said.
Head Coach Steve Kerr highlighted the forward's length and athleticism being a good matchup against the Trail Blazers' front line.
"He was the key to the game," Kerr said. "We obviously needed him; the game called for JK [Jonathan Kuminga], just with Portland’s youth and athleticism. We needed to be able to match that and be able to score against their switches. I was so happy for JK that he stayed ready, came in and produced the way he did.”
Jonathan Kuminga rocks the rim
Kuminga scored 13 points in the contest, his 13th game this season in double-figures and was a game-high plus-13. He shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the field. Three of his field goals were dunks, including an alley-oop slam with 1:03 remaining.
"JK [Jonathan Kuminga] showed a great deal of professionalism," Chris Paul said postgame. "Not playing early and coming in, he changed the whole game."
“If he doesn’t do what he did, stay ready, show maturity, we lose this game,” Stephen Curry said.
Jonathan Kuminga flies in for the alley-oop slam
Seeing Kuminga take advantage of a favorable matchup and turn the game's tide, Coach Kerr believes the team may have to take a more matchup-based approach to their rotation moving forward.
"What we need each night seems to be different depending on the matchup and how the game’s going," Kerr said. "It’s hard to predict what will happen each night."
Regardless of his role moving forward, Kuminga always plans to stay ready.
"I am always ready, so anytime my name is called, I am a professional," Kuminga said. "I know my job and all that matters is to go out there and finish the job.”