Jonathan Kuminga powers Warriors past Suns

It was JK and Steph’s world.

Having tumbled back to .500 with another loss on Friday night, the Golden State Warriors hosted the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night to complete a difficult back-to-back. And they were facing off against a franchise legend, and one of the greatest forwards in NBA history: Kevin Durant.

But while Durant got his, it was the Warriors homegrown forward — the player they’ve been hoping can replace KD’s contributions — who shined the brightest on Saturday. In a game full of future Hall of Famers, it was Jonathan Kuminga who shined the brightest.

Kuminga starred on Friday as well, as one of the team’s lone bright spots. After the game, Steve Kerr openly talked about how the Warriors coaches were brainstorming ways for Kuminga to still shine even when Steph Curry is healthy, as most of the fourth-year wing’s best games have come with his superstar teammate absent.

For one night, at least, Kuminga, Curry, and the coaching staff found a solution. Kuminga was a dynamic force from the moment he first subbed in, getting wherever he wanted on the court with a combination of athleticism, brute force, shifty footwork, strong ball-handling, well-time cuts, and at times sheer will. He knocked in 12 of 20 shots en route to a game-high 34 points, and once again lived at the free throw line, where he shot 8-for-12 ... over his last six games, Kuminga has been averaging 9.5 free throw attempts per game, an elite mark that has helped keep the offense afloat.

He was, essentially, the entire bench presence for the Warriors. Kevon Looney and Kyle Anderson earned DNP-CDs, while Moses Moody and Gary Payton II were sidelined by injuries. Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski were both held scoreless (albeit the latter in just 11 minutes, as he left with a mild injury), and Lindy Waters III’s three points were the only bench points scored by someone other than Kuminga.

But unlike on Friday, when Kuminga’s contributions stood out against an ugly starting lineup, the Warriors starters were ready to go. Steph Curry and Draymond Green returned following one-game absences and both shined. Curry didn’t have his best statistical game — he needed 22 shots to get 22 points and turned the ball over five times — but his shot-making was timely and he felt fully in control. Green put up a brilliant line, finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block, while shooting 6-for-9 from the field. Trayce Jackson-Davis started at center and shined with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the other two starters (Andrew Wiggins and Dennis Schröder) played much better than their stat lines would indicate.

It was the collective effort on Durant that really shined through, though, with Green, Wiggins, and Kuminga all doing brilliant work. KD still scored 31 points, but he shot just 10-for-24 from the field, and turned the ball over eight times. That, combined with the absences of Devin Booker (injury) and Jusuf Nurkić (suspension), was enough for the Warriors to eke out a 109-105 win.

Unlike in most recent games, the Dubs played better down the stretch of this one. They trailed by five points entering the final quarter, but outscored Phoenix 27-18 in the fourth. With the win, the Warriors move back above .500 with a 16-15 record. They get one day off before hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.