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The Golden State Warriors appeared to get things back on track on Saturday night when they defeated the Phoenix Suns 109-105 in San Francisco. That was a must-needed win for Steve Kerr and Golden State after they had fallen into the play-in mix in the Western Conference.
One of the surprise stars in this game was Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga. The young wing finished the game with 34 points and nine rebounds on 12-for-20 shooting and carried the Warriors for stretches of the game. Following the win, Kerr spoke about Kuminga's performance and his development this season as a whole, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
“I just think he's turning a corner,” Kerr said, per Slater. “I just think he's seeing pictures well. … I'm so impressed with [Kuminga], and it just feels like he's turning a corner. Played so hard last night and again tonight.
“What I like is that he's not settling for the 17-foot pull-up. He's trying to get to the rim and then if it's not there then he's kicking it out. Late clock, he's one of the few guys who can create a shot and that's where the mid-range shot comes into play. I just think the process is better overall for him.”
Warriors get much-needed win over Suns
At this point, the Warriors will take the wins any way they can get them. Even on a night where Stephen Curry didn't have his usual red-hot shooting touch — the star guard finished with 22 points on 9-for-22 shooting — they still found a way to knock off a Suns team that is very close to them in the standings.
On Saturday night, it was Jonathan Kuminga who was the hero for the Warriors. His 34 points lifted them over a Suns team that got 59 combined points from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Kuminga's contributions were needed on a night where Curry didn't explode in the scoring column and Andrew Wiggins, Buddy Hield and Dennis Schroder all struggled to score.
With a roster that only has one true star on it, that's how this Warriors team is going to need to win games throughout the season. Curry will carry the load offensively on a lot of nights, but there will be plenty of games where someone like Kuminga or one of the other supporting players will have to pick up the slack and have a big game.
This Warriors team has shown that they have the capabilities to be a contender in the Western Conference, and their hot streak at the beginning of this season exemplifies that. However, they have fallen on hard times lately as they have struggled to close out games in the clutch and the offense has gone through a number of ebbs and flows. The emergence of Kuminga against the Suns is a great sign, and if he can continue to be a reliable option on the offensive end, the Warriors will be much better off for it.
