Category: Basketball

Why it's unfair to expect Butler, Kuminga can repeat Game 3 excellence originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors forwards Jimmy Butler III and Jonathan Kuminga answered the wishes of every soul anxiously walking the streets of Dub Nation on Saturday. Butler dramatically increased his scoring, and Kuminga delivered one of most impressive performances of his NBA career.

And, still, it was not enough to prevent the Warriors from a 102-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals.

Worse for the Warriors, hoping Butler and Kuminga can come out for Game 4 on Monday and repeat their combined excellence in Game 3 – 63 points on 23-of-44 shooting from the field, along with 10 assists – likely is a wish too far.

“My experience is that they probably won’t combine for 63 tomorrow,” coach Steve Kerr conceded Sunday after the team’s video evaluation. “But that other people will fill in some of those gaps.”

With Stephen Curry sidelined with a strained left hamstring, the “other people” disappointed in Game 3. The eight Warriors not named Butler or Kuminga combined for 34 points on 12-of-37 shooting from the field. The four starters aside from Butler scored 28 points on 10-of-29 shooting. Kuminga accounted for all but six points off the bench.

“Like I tell everybody, me and him can thrive together,” Butler said of Kuminga after Game 3. “I know how to space the floor. I can tell him, ‘Hey, when I have the ball, you go here, and you do this.’ We talk, we listen to one another, and then he has an incredible game like [Saturday].

“He did so many good things out there on the floor. I know that he’s going to be a huge part of us winning on Monday.”

The Game 3 result serves as proof that the Warriors need more than the Butler-Kuminga duo. If the “other people” can’t bring something to the party in Game 4 and beyond, the music will stop, lights will come on and the cleanup crew will come shuffling in.

Butler, aka “Playoff Jimmy,” delivered the kind of game he practically trademarked in Miami. Scoring. Rebounding. Playmaking. Leading. Everything the Warriors hoped for in February when they handed him a nine-figure contract to come to the Bay Area. His team-high 33 points on 12-of-26 shooting from the field, including 2-of-4 from deep, came from the dreams of CEO Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy.

Butler’s 43 minutes, however, probably came from the nightmares of the front office.

“He was incredible [in Game 3],” Kerr said. “In hindsight, I would have loved to have gotten him a couple more minutes [rest] during the meat of the game. But it’s tricky. Without Steph, we’re walking a fine line. So, we’ve got to balance the risk of keeping him off the floor versus the gain of getting him a little more rest.”

Butler faded badly in the fourth quarter, missing six of his seven shots, committing two fouls and one turnover. But through the first three quarters, after which Golden State had a 73-69 lead, he was one of the two best players on the floor for either team.

The other player was Kuminga. He had 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, five rebounds and two blocks through three quarters. He finished with 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting.

“Elite. Elite,” Buddy Hield, whose 14 second-half points amounted to proof of life, said of Kuminga after Game 3.

“Kuminga was great,” Kerr said on Sunday. “Just the energy, the effort spreading the floor, just the extra efforts, and, of course, the scoring. We needed all his points.”

What’s needed now, however, is a higher quality of help for Butler and Kuminga – no matter how productive they are in Game 4 and beyond.

For the Warriors to have a chance to tie the series 2-2, Draymond Green must be better. Same for Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II. Curry’s absence has made Hield the focus of Minnesota’s defense, but another scoreless first half would be tough to overcome.

“You just kind of move forward, and you look at where you can attack, what you can do better, and then different guys step up,” Kerr said. “I’m very confident that both JK and Jimmy will play well. But to expect 63 points combined, again, it’s probably unrealistic.”

Or, at least, wildly optimistic.

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What's the lowest scoring game in NBA playoff history? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder made NBA history on Sunday…just not the kind any team wants to make.

The two teams combined for just 25 points in the first quarter of their Game 4 matchup, equaling the record for fewest points in the first quarter of a playoff game in the shot clock era.

The Thunder led the Nuggets 17-8 after the first, matching the previous low first set in 1999 when the Portland Trail Blazers led the Utah Jazz 14-11 and in 2002 when the Detroit Pistons led the Toronto Raptors 16-9, according to the Associated Press.

The Nuggets and Thunder joined that group after combining to shoot just 18.2% in the quarter, with Denver going 0-14 from deep and the Thunder just 1-for–11.

The two teams returned to form in the second quarter, with the Nuggets outscoring the Thunder 28-25. Oklahoma City took a 42-36 lead into the half and went on to win 92-87.

That first quarter, though, nearly rewrote the record books.

What’s the lowest scoring quarter in NBA history?

The Nuggets, with eight first-quarter points, nearly set a new mark for fewest points scored in a quarter of an NBA playoff game.

The record is held by the 2015-2016 Boston Celtics, who scored seven points in the first quarter of Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics lost the game 89-72.

The fewest points scored in a quarter by a single team in the regular season is five by the Nuggets in 2015 and the Miami Heat in 2016.

What’s the lowest scoring game in NBA history?

The fewest points scored by a single team in an NBA playoff game in the shot clock era is 54 by the Utah Jazz. The Jazz lost 96-54 to the Chicago Bulls in Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals, scoring no more than 17 points in any quarter and just nine in the fourth.

The New Jersey Nets are the only other team that have failed to reach the 60-point mark in an NBA playoff game, losing 78-56  in Game 1 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals.

The fewest points scored by an NBA team in the shot clock era is 49 by the Chicago Bulls, who lost 82-49 to the Chicago Bulls in 1999.

Ant acknowledges Warriors' ‘plan' for Steph's Game 6 return originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s no secret the Warriors hope to extend their Western Conference semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves to Game 6.

Why? Because that would give injured superstar Steph Curry (left hamstring strain) a chance to return and potentially help Golden State, who trails Minnesota two games to one in the series, win out and advance to the next round.

Warriors guard Gary Payton II, who was mic’d up during Golden State’s 102-97 loss to Minnesota in Game 3 on Saturday at Chase Center, acknowledged as much while being playfully taunted by Timberwolves superstar guard Anthony Edwards.

"Buddy been GUARDING"

This Anthony Edwards-GP2 mic'd up moment on ABC 😆 pic.twitter.com/sIMXm89FJL

— NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2025

“Y’all trying to get to a Game 6, get Wardell [Curry] back,” Edwards told Payton.

“That is the plan,” Payton responded with a smile.

Curry suffered his Grade 1 left hamstring strain in the second quarter of the Warriors’ Game 1 win on Tuesday at Target Center. Golden State put out an official update on Wednesday, stating Curry will be re-evaluated in one week (May 14) and would miss Games 2, 3 and 4 before Game 5 on Wednesday in Minnesota.

However, ESPN’s Shams Charania stated Friday on “The Pat McAfee Show” that his understanding is that Curry probably will not return until Game 6 at the earliest.

That would be 12 days from the time Curry initially sustained the injury, which is slightly longer than the estimate Stanford Medicine’s Marc Safran, M.D., gave to NBC Sports Bay Area in a recent interview.

If the Warriors are able to win one game without Curry, there’s a good chance Edwards’ assumption will be accurate.

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Hield uses angelic declaration to detail Steph's value to Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There are plenty of superlatives to describe Steph Curry’s NBA greatness.

While some, like ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, often describe the Warriors sharpshooter as the “greatest shooter God ever created,” or even the “closest thing to a God-like figure,” Curry’s teammate, Buddy Hield, offered perhaps the most eloquent Curry praise yet.

Speaking to reporters after Golden State’s 102-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday at Chase Center, Hield was asked if he, as an elite marksman himself, feels any pressure to try and replicate what Curry can do on the court.

“If you’re coming in thinking you’ve got to, like, fill his role, you’re crazy because he does so much for his team,” Hield said. “Trust me, everybody would like to do it, but he’s touched by an angel. He’s touched by God. He’s blessed. He’s Steph Curry, man. He’s always supportive, always there, talking to the guys…I’m getting the Steph rules right now. And I told him, I see what you go through. But it’s fun.”

Well put.

Curry suffered a left hamstring strain in the Warriors’ Game 1 win over the Timberwolves, and has missed the previous two games, both Golden State losses, as he continues to work his way back to the court. The Warriors reportedly are targeting a Game 6 return for Curry — that is, if they can win one of the next two contests and force a Game 6 next Sunday at Chase Center.

If Curry truly is “blessed” and “touched by God,” those angelic healing properties certainly would come in handy right about now.

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Why final three Draymond fouls were brutal in Warriors' Game 3 loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Winning isn’t going to be easy for the Warriors when Draymond Green has three times as many fouls (six) as points (two), and more turnovers (five) than rebounds (two) and assists (four). His stats weren’t pretty. 

Neither was the eye test in the Warriors’ 102-97 Game 3 Western Conference semifinals loss Saturday night at Chase Center. But both the stats and the nature of the game also showed how much he means to this team. His final three fouls were a brutal blow.

The Warriors led by three points halfway through the third quarter when he was called for a controversial fourth call. They were down by two when he fouled out with four minutes and 38 seconds left in the game, which led to two free throws for Jaden McDaniels – two makes – and the Warriors lost by five points.

During, and after the game, the Warriors didn’t agree with how he got those final three fouls. Steve Kerr challenged the fourth one. Green’s fifth was assessed during a review that he wasn’t part of it, and they felt like his sixth was soft.

“Yeah, we felt pretty strongly that the one on,” Kerr said about challenging the fourth foul called on Green. “I think it was his fourth on the block, it looked like [Julius Randle] went through his chest, so we felt pretty good about challenging and plus, it was his fourth. But obviously we didn’t get the call and that’s part of the game. Randle was great, and yeah, the foul trouble. 

“The sixth one was a tough one. That didn’t feel great looking at the replay, but it is what it is, and they outplayed us in the fourth and they deserved to win.” 

It wasn't a good game for Draymond Green

But his final three fouls completely changed the nature of the Warriors' Game 3 loss, especially the fourth foul pic.twitter.com/NqPGCiFlTY

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) May 11, 2025

Green was called for a block by Scott Foster at the 6:46 mark of the third quarter on a play where Randle seemed to extend his left arm. It wasn’t even Green’s reaction that made Kerr challenge the foul. His coaching staff was sure the officiating crew would see why Green went flying to the floor. Foster didn’t agree.

Kevon Looney then replaced Green because of his foul trouble. The Timberwolves saw a Thanksgiving dinner. They started feasting at the rim. It wasn’t all because Looney was in, but even more so because Green wasn’t. 

The Timberwolves attempted five straight layups, and made three. All three were made by Anthony Edwards, who got comfortable and went on a heater once Draymond took a seat with four fouls. Every shot involved Looney. 

Clearly, the Timberwolves were at more ease with Green off the floor, and then in foul trouble. 

“Obviously, he’s one of the top defenders in the world,” Jimmy Butler said. “For sure the best defender on this squad. You know, when he’s out, it is just different. You don’t got nobody back there that’s quarterbacking the way that he does it, that can switch everything, and that can get every loose ball and that can rebound. 

“Even whenever he comes out, we’ve still got to be better.”

Buddy Hield shared his frustration with how Green was officiated in the loss. The Warriors overall were called for 24 fouls, one more than the Timberwolves, and each team attempted exactly 21 free throws.

“There was an offensive foul,” Hield said. “I just don’t understand the rules. Draymond is an all-world defensive player. The guy put a forearm in his chest. I’ve seen referee challenge and it was automatic. They don’t take that long. I feel like they were debating it too long on the challenge and reviewing it and going over time and trying to figure out what’s the right call. 

“I just know that everything just didn’t go our way today, and that’s how the game is. We don’t want no excuses. We don’t want nobody to feel sorry for us, but nothing went his way today, picking up a foul on McDaniels, and his hand is on the ball. We didn’t get calls.

“It is what it is. That’s the fun part about it. Just got to figure it out, and we’re down 2-1, we just got to weather the storm.” 

On Green’s fifth foul, Jonathan Kuminga beat his man off the dribble and Julius Randle was called for a blocking foul. Randle right away told Minnesota’s coaching staff to challenge the call and was tugging at his jersey. Upon review, Green was called for an offensive foul for holding onto Randle’s jersey, something the veteran forward basically predicted.

That was a whole 18 seconds before Green’s sixth foul, a call that had him flabbergasted running down the sidelines. Green and the Warriors thought he had great positioning on Jaden McDaniels’ dunk attempt. Draymond didn’t think he touched him at all, and for the final four and a half minutes the Warriors didn’t have him in a game Kerr said pregame they had to win with their defense.

Edwards in the 18-plus minutes he played after Green’s fourth foul scored 25 of his 36 points. Before that fourth foul, Edwards was a minus-12 with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting. After, he was 9 of 15 and a plus-8. 

Randle scored 15 points and was a plus-4 in the 24 minutes he played prior to Green’s fourth foul, but he also was 6 of 16 from the field. He played 16-plus minutes after and was a plus-10 with nine points, made four of his seven shots, had seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. That’s part of the Draymond Effect, even when he’s having a subpar overall game to his standards. 

While Butler and Kuminga combined to score 63 points for the Warriors, Edwards and Randle scored 60 points, with 34 of them from Green’s fourth foul to the rest of their series-shifting Game 3 win.

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Following the Knicks' 115-93 loss to the Celtics in Game 3 on Saturday afternoon, coach Tom Thibodeau and the players spoke on a number of topics after the game...

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Handling 'Hack-a-Mitch'

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has implemented the "hack-a-Mitch" strategy in this series and it's worked out for them. Intentionally putting Mitchell Robinson on the free-throw line -- where he's a career 52 percent shooter -- has allowed Boston to maintain momentum while neutralizing the Knicks' offense.

Mazzulla used the strategy again in Game 3 on Saturday and Robinson responded by going 4-for-12 at the line. He's now 11-for-38 (29 percent) this postseason. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was asked about the decision-making process of leaving Robinson in.

"You got to make a decision between 5 and 2 and then go from there. If he’s making, he stays; if he’s not, we got to get him out," Thibodeau said. "Is he impacting the game? Is that more beneficial to leave him in? There’s a lot of factors that go into that."

To the MSG crowd's credit, they were encouraging to Robinson whenever he was put on the free-throw line. They went crazy when he hit his first, and the big man would make three in a row at one point in the game.

The six-year center was practicing his free-throw shooting during pregame warmups but it seems the Celtics will keep sending him to the line until he gives them a reason not to. In the meantime, Robinson's teammates are looking to lift him up.

"You encourage. It's a tough position to be in, especially mentally. We're going to have each other's back regardless," Jalen Brunson said of Robinson. "No matter what happens, we're going to win together, we're going to lose together. We're going to go through that together."

On Saturday, Robinson played 19 minutes, scoring six points and coming down with eight rebounds, six offensive.

Towns' hand injury

During Saturday's loss, Karl-Anthony Towns was seen holding his shooting hand in pain after being fouled on a shot.

The first-year Knick did not come out of the game and scored 21 points on 5-of-18 shooting while coming down with 15 rebounds in 37 minutes on the court.

Towns was asked about his hand after the game.

"It is what it is," Towns said. "I just want to do whatever I can to be out there."

Viewers on social media were trying to read Towns' lips and they believe he said that he broke something, but the big man would not give any indication of what's going on.

"It is what it is. I'm going to keep finding ways to play. I ain't tripping," he said. Towns also gave a non-answer when asked if he had an X-ray done after the game.

"It's the playoffs. People are going to get hit and you have to play through things. That's why you do it throughout the entire season. No one is playing 100 percent but you can understand you can play well when you're feeling less than your best. That's all part of it; the mental part of the playoffs is huge."

Back in January, Towns sustained a sprained thumb and it was revealed he has a bone chip in his right thumb, which has played through this season.

Karl-Anthony Towns was asked about his hand injury:

"It is what it is. I just want to do whatever I can to be out there."

When asked, Towns declined to elaborate on whether or not he got an X-ray or any other imaging on the hand pic.twitter.com/Mk170EEMvM

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 10, 2025

Saturday was billed as the biggest Knicks home game in the past 25 years. It ended up being a big letdown for the home crowd.

The Celtics built a 16-point lead in the first quarter; it ballooned to 31 points in the third quarter. The Garden crowd erupted when the Knicks cut the deficit to 20 with 10 minutes to play, but there was no miracle comeback on Saturday.

Poor energy/offense doomed the Knicks early, and the Celtics' hot shooting was too much to overcome in Game 3.

In some ways, what happened on Saturday was the worst-case scenario for New York.

The Celtics found a rhythm behind the arc and looked way too comfortable on the Knicks' home floor. At times, it looked like a replay of the regular season, when Boston thoroughly dominated the Knicks.

“They got some clean looks early, and they see it go in. That gives them confidence and it’s hard to shut them off,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “We have to have greater awareness. We can’t allow missed shots to take away from defensive tenacity.”

Another issue brought up in the postgame locker room? The Knicks’ low-energy start to the game.

“They just came out with more urgency,” Mikal Bridges said.

“I don’t think we came with the mindset of being satisfied, but I think it was subconsciously satisfied with being up 2-0,” Jalen Brunson added. “But it’s not what we need to approach the game.”

If you read these quotes and wonder how a team in the Knicks’ position can start a game without good energy, you’re probably not alone.

Sometimes players use the "we didn’t have good energy" excuse as a cliché to describe a loss. In this case, it didn’t seem to be a throwaway line. Several players felt the effort on defense was influenced by what happened on the other end of the floor. 

“We can’t let makes and misses affect how we’re playing on the defensive end. When we’re not making shots, we’ve got to make it tough for them,” Josh Hart said. “We’ve got to fly around more. We’ve got to rebound the ball, we’ve got to deny them of second chance points. We’ve got to do more things. We know this was far from our best game. We’ve got to regroup and get back to it Monday.”

It's easy to see how the Celtics can carry their strong shooting on Saturday into Game 4. Boston has won a lot of games behind strong three-point shooting. They were 25-for-100 from beyond the arc in the first two games of this series. What happened on Saturday made that look like an aberration.

I didn’t get the sense that the Knicks felt particularly deflated or worried after Game 3. I get the sense that they still feel they can compete against Boston and be in a position to win these games by executing in the clutch. They talked a lot about using Sunday and Monday morning/afternoon to identify their Game 3 mistakes and correct them. They’ve been able to do that at different times over the course of the season.

If they can execute that plan and turn things around in Game 4, they will have a clear path to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years. But if Monday is anything like Saturday, it’s easy to see this series slipping away from the Knicks and their season, yet again, ending in the second round.

The Knicks knew this was coming.

After the Celtics blew 20-point leads in back-to-back games, the defending champions had something to prove to the basketball world and to themselves to get back into this Eastern Conference semifinal series. And they did that on Saturday, throwing a haymaker in the first quarter and never letting the Knicks get back up, in their 115-93 win in Game 3.

"We knew they would come out with aggression and we have to make sure we’re bringing aggression and force as well," head coach Tom Thibodeau said of the lackluster first quarter. "There’s going to be runs where you’re not making shots. Get going with your defense, and then all of a sudden, you get rhythm. We have to be better, and we will be."

That first quarter saw the Celtics shoot 58 percent, including 6-for-7 from three. Conversely, the Knicks shot just 35 percent in the opening frame and hit just one three in seven attempts.

"They were down 2-0 and you knew they were going to come out with a sense of urgency and a sense of desperation. That's something that we should've did a better job with," Josh Hart said. "We knew it was going to happen and we didn’t play with enough urgency, physicality from the jump, and make them uncomfortable.”

Hart said that a lack of urgency and physicality was the biggest thing he could point to for the team's defensive breakdowns on Saturday before giving the Celtics credit.

"They’re the defending champs, they weren’t coming here to lay down," he said. "We have to reset, regroup, watch the film, see where we can get better and take that to Monday."

In the first two games in Boston, the Celtics shot a combined 25 percent from three (25-for-100). It was a huge reason for the Knicks' massive comebacks, but when the shots started falling, it was going to be a different game. The Celtics were 50 percent from three (20-for-40), and to Hart and Thibodeau's points, the lack of intensity on the defensive end allowed Boston to sink shots early, and built up their confidence.

"They were 20-of-40 from three. There’s not a lot I can say," Jalen Brunson said. "There’s a lot we need to discuss tomorrow and figure out. We need to play with a better sense of urgency."

Brunson was asked why the urgency was missing from Saturday's game and the All-Star guard took a beat to gather his thoughts before answering.

"I don’t think we came with the mindset of being satisfied, but I think it was just subconsciously satisfied being up 2-0," he said. "That’s not the way we need to approach the game."

Brunson said the team didn't cover the three-point line effectively, and any lack of communication and miscues "falls under the same umbrella" as not having enough urgency.

"The intent was there, but sometimes if you miss shots, you tend to not have the same type of energy," Thibodeau said. "There's a lot of different ways you can help win a game. No one is going to shoot great every night but do other things to help the team win. That’s basically what we've done all year. We fell short today. And we have to take a good hard look at the film and get ourselves ready for the next game."

That next game comes on Monday back at MSG. The Knicks are 1-3 at home in these playoffs after Saturday's loss, so it'll be tough to take the 3-1 series lead from these Celtics, who at least for one game, put the first two blown games behind them.

But the Knicks knew this was going to be a tough series. It was highly unlikely the Knicks would sweep the Celtics even after taking the first two games, but they know they need to adjust and be better, or else risk Boston taking control of the series.

"Learn from Games 1-3, especially today," Brunson said of Game 4's preparation. "Just come out with some urgency and be ready to go on Monday."

Kerr senses Warriors are close to perfecting formula without Steph originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors’ offense has lived through, around and in between Steph Curry for 16 seasons.

It’s what Steve Kerr knows best since becoming head coach of the Warriors in 2014. Along with Draymond Green and, for many years, Klay Thompson, the recipe was dynastic with Chef Curry leading the charge in the kitchen.

But since his superstar point guard sustained a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Kerr has had to find a new recipe, or as he stated, formula, that will work against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

And despite a 102-97 loss in Game 3 on Saturday night at Chase Center, Kerr senses they’re close.

“We’re right there,” Kerr said postgame. “We feel great about our chances. This is what the playoffs are all about. There’s these emotional swings and momentum shifts, and we just got to take tomorrow off and get the guys refreshed, recharged, and come back in Monday and tee it up again.”

"We're right there."

Steve Kerr remains confident in the Warriors after a close Game 3 loss pic.twitter.com/CdPjqGCF9s

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 11, 2025

Kerr used Game 2 in Minnesota to experiment with different lineups and rotations, as Golden State became the first NBA team ever to insert 14 players in the first half of a playoff game.

He admitted he wanted to see what worked and didn’t work in Curry’s first full game sidelined. He got his answers. Kerr started second-year center Trayce Jackson-Davis, who had been out of the rotation since January, in Game 3, although he only played just over 11 minutes.

Moses Moody, who started 34 games for the Warriors, including the final 28 of the regular season, played just three minutes Saturday after struggling during these playoffs.

Rookie center Quinten Post, who started Game 2, played a little more than two minutes in Game 3.

The point is, it has been an adjustment for everyone to figure out the remedy without Curry, but Kerr feels they’re headed in a promising direction.

“I felt really good about the way the game went tonight, we just couldn’t close it out,” Kerr said. “But we controlled much of that game. [We were] up six or whatever it was with eight minutes to go, and I liked where we were. We just couldn’t finish.

“So the formula looks good. We’ll have some adjustments to make, but I like the matchup. I like what we’re doing.”

Jimmy Butler led the Warriors with 33 points on 12-of-26 shooting from the field and 2 of 4 from 3-point range, with seven rebounds and seven assists in 43 minutes.

Jonathan Kuminga recorded a playoff career-high 30 points, adding six rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 36 minutes off the bench.

Butler, too, believes the team is beginning to figure things out without Curry. While he wanted a win as bad as anybody, he knows there still are positives to take away from the loss.

“That we can compete without Steph,” Butler said. “We’re still as confident as ever, and we’re gonna go back to the film, to the drawing boards and figure it out. Come back in here on Monday and get this thing to 2-2.”

There’s no easy solution when you’re without your best player. Especially in the playoffs. But Butler and Kuminga proving they can co-exist has come at the perfect time for the Warriors. And if the rest of the ingredients fall into place, Kerr could be just a game away from mastering the Steph Curry-less formula.

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Kuminga's ‘I'm here' moment comes at perfect time for him, Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Jonathan Kuminga checked into Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at the 5:50 mark of the first quarter and immediately knocked down a jump shot.

Moments later, he blocked Jaden McDaniels’ dunk attempt and completed an and-1 driving floater on the other end of the court. He lay on the Chase Center floor for several seconds as the crowd rose to its feet and reached the highest volume of the night at that point.

Both embraced one another.

“I think that got me going,” Kuminga said Saturday night after the Warriors’ 102-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. “Just things like that, trying to involve the crowd, it just gave us this type of boost where we feed off that type of energy. 

“It was just one of those moments. Like: I’m here.”

JK making plays on both ends 🤩pic.twitter.com/3SUsAMSEkU

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 11, 2025

Here, after the most difficult and adverse month of his four-year NBA career. 

The DNPs (Did Not Play). The chatter. The pressure. The confusion.

That’s a lot for anyone to take on at once, not to mention a 22-year-old. But Kuminga’s patience – as he lay on the Chase Center floor looking up at the twinkling lights with a roar of Warriors fans applauding him – finally paid off.

But it’s not as simple as flipping a switch. Not knowing when you’re going to play or be a part of the rotation. Being thrown into garbage minutes to try and light a spark without any rhythm. Kuminga played a total of 49 minutes in Golden State’s seven-game series against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, including three DNPs.

He played 36 minutes off the bench Saturday night, scoring a career playoff-high 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field and 3 of 4 from 3-point range, with six rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

“It’s not easy,” Kuminga said of being in and out of the rotation. “It’s very tough. I think the only thing that kept me ready was watching how we play, working out every other day and just watching film. I think that was the only preparation. … It’s not easy, especially when you don’t get too many opportunities to be out there.

“I can do all that in my workouts and stuff like that, but if you’re not in the game, it’s different and more serious. Just within the time, it keeps getting better. Like I said, I’m just gaining my confidence back.”

Kuminga and Jimmy Butler combined for 63 points.

The numbers during the regular season showed that lineups with the two together on the court simply didn’t work for the Warriors. The past two games have shown otherwise.

Of course, Golden State has been a much different team playing without superstar Steph Curry, which Kerr believes partly is the reason why having the two aggressive forwards on the floor at the same time can work.

Kuminga believes it’s also a comfort thing as the two become more acquainted with each other on the court. That could be a good sign for Game 4 as the Warriors trail the series 2-1 and need to find a way to win without Curry, who will be re-evaluated before Game 5 on Wednesday.

While Kerr and Kuminga’s teammates spoke highly and proudly of the young forward in their postgame comments, Kuminga was the least pleased. Mostly because his career performance didn’t result in a win.

That didn’t stop the praise, however.

“He was brilliant,” Kerr said postgame. “JK played one of the best games of his life. It was fantastic to see, and you can see how necessary he is in this matchup, especially without Steph. We’re having a tough time getting free, and he’s obviously capable of giving us some points, getting to the rim. And I thought he was fantastic.

“I’ve said it a couple times to you guys, I’ve just been impressed with the way he’s handled things the last couple weeks, with the way he stayed ready and put in the work. It paid off tonight.”

Warriors guard Buddy Hield, the team’s human injection of joy on and off the court, called Kuminga “elite” and questioned if he knows anyone who works as hard as he does.

“It’s a beautiful sight to see,” Butler added of Kuminga’s aggressiveness.

Of course, a win would have been the icing on the cake for Kuminga and the Warriors. But after the turbulent road Kuminga has been on the last few weeks, it’s safe to say he isn’t just getting his confidence back — it’s back. Fully. And it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Warriors entering a pivotal Game 4.

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