The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Play-In Tournament after a disappointing 124-119 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. The Warriors were given the opportunity to control their positioning in the standings and squandered it. Someone who was not in the mix for that deciding game was Jonathan Kuminga.
Steve Kerr turned to four players off the bench in this matchup. Kuminga was not one of them. The Warriors head coach opted to turn to Gary Payton, Kevon Looney, Buddy Hield, and Quinten Post instead. Golden State got a lackluster 16 bench points in the process.
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00).© Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
It was the Stephen Curry show that the Warriors had to rely on. The superstar point guard nearly brought his team the win.
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Curry finished the game with 36 points, six assists, and three rebounds in the loss. The Warriors superstar shot 10-of-20 from the field and 7-of-12 from beyond the arc.
The Warriors point guard was asked what the message was for Kuminga with the lack of playing time. Curry answered openly and honestly.
”[He] just to be ready,” the four-time champion told the media. “It’s the test of a young player in this league and especially with our team. You never know when your moment will be there, at the brightest and highest of moments. So, it wasn’t his time tonight.”
Curry continued: “Against Memphis, it could be a game where he makes his presence felt. So, don’t let noise outside of the locker room, the attention that might come from it, distract you from your ability to make an impact when your number is called. So, we saw this summer, DNPs are all over the place. You gotta be able to be ready.”
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Related: Stephen Curry Hits Rare Milestone Again During Warriors-Spurs
Perhaps, to Curry’s point, Kuminga’s time will come against the Memphis Grizzlies in their Play-In matchup. If the fourth-year pro sees the court, one would imagine Kuminga will look to prove he deserves a spot in the rotation regularly.
Related: Steve Kerr Sends Stephen Curry Message After Historic Performance
