Jonathan Kuminga gives Warriors unexpected, needed scoring option against Wolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Seizing an opportunity granted out of necessity, Jonathan Kuminga showed up Thursday night for the Warriors. As fate would have it, his effort to pull them from the hole they dug went for naught.

With neither Jimmy Butler III nor Draymond Green producing much under exigent conditions, Kuminga’s encouraging performance gives coach Steve Kerr something to ponder beyond a 117-93 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.

With Stephen Curry sidelined, Kerr and his staff planned for Kuminga to play. He played well enough to move from the far end of the bench to the heart of the rotation as the series moves to the Bay Area for Games 3 and 4.

“Did a great job, I thought,” Kerr told reporters at Target Center. “I was very proud of just the way he’s stayed ready, stayed positive. This has not been an easy stretch for him, and he really came out there and did a great job today, kind of showing what he’s made of.

“He obviously will be back out there for Game 3. And we’re going to need him.”

They got Kuminga on Thursday, but the task was too tall for him or any individual to succeed. After the Warriors won Game 1 but lost Curry in the process, this was the fully expected outcome. Aside from a third-quarter rally – an 11-3 run ignited by a Kuminga dunk that pulled them within seven – that lasted less than three minutes, they were vastly inferior to the determined Wolves.

The series is tied 1-1 because Minnesota found its offense and exploited Golden State’s smorgasbord of glitches. Moses Moody not passing to Brandin Podziemski for a layup and shooting a 10-foot airball. Kuminga watching Donte DiVincenzo scurry past him to secure a loose ball. Buddy Hield tossing a pass into the backcourt for a violation. Pat Spencer overdribbling into live-ball turnover. Trayce Jackson-Davis rolling and signaling for a lob and Podziemski missing the cue.

All this in a first half that ended with Golden State giving up 56 points and scoring 39, topped by 10 from Kuminga on 5-of-5 shooting in nine minutes off the bench.

Kuminga finished with a team-high 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, from the field, adding five rebounds. He was minus-8 in 26 minutes, his longest run since March 17, when he played 28 minutes in a loss to the Denver Nuggets.

“Everything just came back together, as long as you stay out there and you know who you’re playing with,” Kuminga said. “Just having that rhythm, breaking this way and just staying, locked in. The rhythm kind of comes back slowly.”

Kuminga’s place in the team hierarchy tumbled with the Feb. 8 arrival of Jimmy Butler III. Kerr is reluctant to play Draymond Green, Kuminga and Butler because it creates serious floor-spacing issues. Put simply, opponents do not fear their 3-point shooting.

Yet all three started the third quarter and were on the floor, with Hield and Podziemski, during Golden State’s brief comeback attempt. They outscored Minnesota 19-9 over the first six minutes of the quarter.

Which might be why Butler believes there is a way, for all three, certainly he and Kuminga, to be productive in tandem.

“I can play with anybody; he can play with anybody,” Butler said. “It’s all about playing basketball the right way. It’s all it is, attack to score, attack to pass, just make the right play over and over and over again, every single time, no matter who you’re out there with.

“Just play basketball the right way. And me and JK, could thrive. Can and will thrive together on the basketball court.”

Kuminga’s shooting efficiency wasn’t nearly enough to bring the Warriors back from a deficit that was as high as 22 before halftime. It was enough, however, to put him back in the rotation.

Podziemski is struggling to score, shooting 16-of-44 from the field, including 7-of-26 from deep, over his last five games. Moody’s offense has gone into hibernation, as he has missed his last 14 shots spanning three games and is 24-of-71/12-of-39 in nine postseason games.

Golden State needs offense in the worst way, and Kuminga’s Game 2 performance makes him an option.

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Kuminga, TJD could force Kerr's hand after athleticism in Game 2 loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

MINNEAPOLIS – Minutes were top of mind for Warriors coach Steve Kerr going into Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Thursday at Target Center. As in how many minutes his two veteran stars, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, would play with Steph Curry sidelined by a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. 

Kerr wasn’t going to chase a win and run two 35-year-olds into the ground after the high-intensity stretch of games they’ve been playing with little rest in between, boarding numerous flights since the NBA playoffs began two and a half weeks ago. His bench brigade was given a warning, or better yet, an opportunity. 

The Green Machine was ready to roll.

The nickname refers to a group of reserves who wore green practice jerseys in their first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets. It’s a group that showed fight and grit whenever given an opportunity. A group that energizes and doesn’t back down. 

“He was like, ‘Green Machine, be ready. This might be a game you guys get in. Could be two minutes at the top of the second.’ We got in and we’re just trying to cause havoc,” Trayce Jackson-Davis said.

The Warriors lost Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves by 24 points Thursday night, evening the series at one win apiece, but two bright spots off the bench will have to make Kerr rethink his ever-changing rotation. Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 18 points off the bench, making his first eight shots, and grabbed five rebounds. Jackson-Davis scored 15 points, making all six of his shots, and the backup center hauled in six rebounds. 

Unlike Game 1, the Warriors didn’t have the advantage from the 3-point line. Coming by threes always becomes harder without the gravity and greatness of the best shooter in the game’s history. The Warriors had a 39-point advantage from long distance Tuesday. The Timberwolves on Thursday tallied 21 more points beyond the arc than them. 

That’s where the athleticism of Kuminga and Jackson-Davis can become an advantage for the Warriors without Curry. 

“The domino effect of Steph being out led to Trayce playing tonight,” Kerr explained. “Because we need the scoring, we need the finishing. You saw what he did out there. Same thing with JK. 

“We had found a formula over the last couple of months and obviously we’re having a lot of success, but without Steph the formula completely goes out the window, and we’ve got to figure out the next one.”

Whatever Kerr concocts next, Kuminga and Jackson-Davis should be part of the equation, at least for Game 3 on Saturday night at Chase Center. Both young players fell out of the rotation throughout the year, but each provides something the rest of the team doesn’t. 

They combined for five dunks, three from Jackson-Davis and two by Kuminga. The Warriors scored 42 points in the paint, with 24 – 12 each – coming from Jackson-Davis and Kuminga.

All six of Jackson-Davis’ made shots were within three feet of the basket, the furthest being one of the best sequences of the game from either side. Donte DiVincenzo saw Rudy Gobert get behind Jackson-Davis, but the Warriors center recognized what was going on, backpedaled and met him at the rim to deny an alley-oop. He then sprinted the floor, caught a pass from Brandin Podziemski in stride and the lefty finished with a right-handed finger roll through traffic for a three-point play. 

With Gobert on him at the right corner during the second quarter, Butler yelled for Kuminga to attack. He did, taking the 7-foot-1 Frenchman off the dribble before dunking on his head. 

“They’re a big team, so to have a rim presence and threat is important,” Kerr said.

But adding Jackson-Davis and Kuminga to a shorter rotation than using all 14 players like Kerr did in Game 2 means eliminating two players. Specifically, Moses Moody and Quinten Post.

Moody in 16 minutes off the bench was a minus-14 with all three of his points coming at the free-throw line. He missed all five of his shot attempts, including four 3-pointers. Moody in the last three games has now taken 14 shots, including eight threes, and is 0 of 14.

“He’s not in a rhythm right now,” Kerr said. “We just have to stay with it. He’s got to stay with it. I’m very confident, because I’ve watched Moses for four years. I know his character, I know his work ethic, I know his skill. He’ll find his way back.” 

For the fifth time in nine playoff games, Kerr used a different starting lineup. Matching the Timberwolves’ size and needing spacing without Curry, Kerr chose to go with rookie center Post. The decision backfired badly.

Minnesota went on a 13-0 run to begin the game in three-plus minutes. Post was replaced by Kuminga to start the second half, and he didn’t see the court again after that first ugly stint. He has played nine minutes through two games this series, having yet to score and only has one rebound. 

A deficit that big, that fast is a tough enough blow when the Warriors do have Curry. Without him, swimming upstream had them sinking despite multiple valiant efforts. 

“Experimental or not, I’d still like to win,” Butler said. “I think the biggest lesson is don’t start off in a hole like we did tonight. That game maybe could have ended up a little bit differently, but it’s hard to come out of that hole.”

The loss isn’t on Moody, nor is it on Post. Curry’s injury forced Kerr’s hand at almost another feel-it-out game, and what became clear is the athleticism and rim pressure Kuminga and Jackson-Davis provide is worth running back for a longer look, starting Saturday night back on their home court in front of Dub Nation.

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Kerr admits Draymond must be 'careful' after incident vs. Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s easy to lose composure during a fiery NBA playoff series – even for a leader.

After the Warriors’ 117-93 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night at Target Center in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals, coach Steve Kerr issued crucial advice to star forward Draymond Green, who picked up a dead-ball technical foul for hitting Naz Reid in the second quarter. 

“I could see he had gotten pretty upset, and I didn’t want him getting another technical, so I took him out at that point,” Kerr told reporters after the loss. “He’s going to have to be careful now. 

“He’s going to have to stay composed. Obviously, we need him, and I’m confident he will because he knows the circumstances.”

Draymond received a technical foul after hitting Naz Reid in the face 😳

It's his 5th tech of the playoffs. 2 shy of a suspension. pic.twitter.com/VkS7JxhOYH

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 9, 2025

Green was visibly bothered by the official’s decision, prompting Curry to step in to simmer down his longtime teammate.

Steph had to calm down Draymond after his technical foul 😳 pic.twitter.com/3DgDul0e7X

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 9, 2025

The 35-year-old now has five technical fouls during these playoffs, putting him two away from the seven-technical one-game suspension mark.

Although Green has demonstrated some composure throughout the postseason, Kerr is convinced the competitiveness that makes his forward a star is also what can also set him back at times.

“That’s part of Draymond,” Kerr added. “[The] same thing that makes him such a great competitor and a winner puts him over the top sometimes. 

“We know that, and it’s our job to help him stay poised [and] stay composed, but the competition is so meaningful to him that sometimes he goes over the line.”

Thursday night, as he’s done in the past, Green responded to Reid’s initial foul by flailing his arms wildly, which happened to hit the Minnesota big man in the face. 

Draymond Green receives his 5th tech of the playoffs after hitting Naz Reid in the face 😳

Green would face suspension with two more.

(via @HoHighlights)

pic.twitter.com/YKyBxNmUL1

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 9, 2025

To Kerr, it’s nothing more than one of Green’s on-court habits.

“It’s just a habit he has when somebody fouls him,” Kerr concluded. “He’s smart. I think it was Reid who reached, and on the reach, Draymond kind of swiped and drew the foul. 

“But he does have a habit of flailing his arm to try to make sure the ref sees it. He made contact and that’s what led to the [technical foul].” 

Warriors wing Jimmy Butler, on the other hand, doubts Green will reach a seventh technical foul. 

If anything, he agrees that the four-time NBA champion’s reputation for over-the-top fouls and aggravating trash talk is fueled Thursday night’s incident. 

“I’m in [agreement],” Butler said. “It ain’t like he’s doing it on purpose. He’s trying to sell a call or something like that.” 

Regardless of what anyone says, one thing is for certain: Green must move with extreme caution moving forward.

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Celtics-Knicks Game 3 tickets at MSG selling for nearly $2,000 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Ticket demand is so great for Saturday afternoon’s Game 3 of the NBA playoff series between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks that the average paid ticket price on the resale market approached $2,000 Thursday.

The average was $1,956 for Game 3 and $1,716 for Game 4, both at Madison Square Garden, according to ticketing technology company Victory Live, which analyzes transactions, not listings, on the secondary market.

The cheapest ticket for Game 3 was $626 on StubHub; for Game 4 it was $613 on Vivid Seats.

The Knicks have become the most exciting story in the NBA this month, having erased 20-point deficits to beat the defending-champion Celtics in the first two games of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Knicks, eliminated in the conference semifinals the last two years, would reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 if they win two more games against the Celtics.

Ticket prices for Knicks home games have surged steadily each day leading into Games 3 and 4. The average resale price last Friday was $767 for Game 3 and $545 for Game 4.

Celtics-Knicks Game 3 tickets at MSG selling for nearly $2,000 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Ticket demand is so great for Saturday afternoon’s Game 3 of the NBA playoff series between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks that the average paid ticket price on the resale market approached $2,000 Thursday.

The average was $1,956 for Game 3 and $1,716 for Game 4, both at Madison Square Garden, according to ticketing technology company Victory Live, which analyzes transactions, not listings, on the secondary market.

The cheapest ticket for Game 3 was $626 on StubHub; for Game 4 it was $613 on Vivid Seats.

The Knicks have become the most exciting story in the NBA this month, having erased 20-point deficits to beat the defending-champion Celtics in the first two games of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Knicks, eliminated in the conference semifinals the last two years, would reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 if they win two more games against the Celtics.

Ticket prices for Knicks home games have surged steadily each day leading into Games 3 and 4. The average resale price last Friday was $767 for Game 3 and $545 for Game 4.

Butler, Kerr share how injured Steph helped Warriors in Game 2 loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry’s absence on the floor clearly was felt during the Warriors’ 117-93 Game 2 loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.

But that doesn’t mean Curry was a complete non-factor at Target Center following the hamstring strain he sustained during Game 1.

After the game, coach Steve Kerr and forward Jimmy Butler detailed how the Golden State star still managed to boost his team from the bench.

“He was great. He sat a couple of seats down,” Kerr told reporters about Curry’s sideline presence. “We talked a couple of times during the game, and he was talking to all of the players. I don’t know exactly what he was saying to the guys, but it’s very comforting having him on that bench for our guys.”

Butler offered some more specific insight into Curry’s coach-like leadership.

“Talking the game, what he sees, what we should be doing on both sides of the ball,” Butler revealed about Curry’s role Thursday night. “Even though he’s not out there, he still expects us and wants us to win. So, as often as he’s telling us — this guy needs to be here and, on defense, this is what everybody needs to be doing — we’ve got to listen, because he’s seeing firsthand a lot of stuff that everybody else can’t see.

“So he’s definitely still out there on the bench with us.”

Jimmy shares how Steph is helping the Warriors from the bench 👏 pic.twitter.com/ad3F5Ay60w

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 9, 2025

Like Curry, Butler undertook a similar responsibility when he missed Game 3 of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets with a pelvic contusion.

After that contest, guard Buddy Hield explained how Butler gave him a pep talk — mixed with some light teasing — following an unflattering turnover.

Golden State grabbed an important victory minus Butler; now, the Warriors must figure out a way to win without Curry’s impact on the court.

Nevertheless, Curry clearly will do anything necessary to benefit his team while he is limited to the bench for multiple games.

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Butler feels no burden to uphold ‘Playoff Jimmy' rep with Steph out originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The pressure is on after the Warriors dropped Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday at Target Center, heading back to the Bay with the Western Conference semifinals tied at one game apiece.

But Jimmy Butler, who has earned the nickname “Playoff Jimmy” thanks to his postseason prowess, isn’t hitting the panic button — even with superstar and leading scorer Steph Curry sidelined by a hamstring injury.

“I don’t have a burden or expectation,” Butler told reporters postgame of the scoring onus falling on him now. “I don’t. I play basketball the right way. I will continue to play basketball the right way. If that time comes where your people that are saying whatever, [I’m] supposed to score 40 or 43, whatever the case may be, I’m capable of it.

“I can do it, but I love making sure that my guys are comfortable, passing the ball to them, taking the right shots at the right time. But we’ll talk about it, if that may be needed. Who knows.”

Through 127 NBA playoff games, including eight with the Warriors (though he missed most of Game 2 before sitting out all of Game 3 against the Houston Rockets with a pelvic injury), Butler is averaging 21.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

But he reached legendary status with the Heat during the 2022 and 2023 NBA playoffs. Butler averaged 27.4 points per game across 17 contests before the Boston Celtics eliminated Miami in the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals. Butler had four 40-plus point games that postseason and scored at least 30 points eight times.

And in 2023, Butler’s epic 56-point game in the first round highlighted the Heat’s incredible run to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games. Butler averaged 26.9 points per game that postseason, scoring 30 or more points in five separate contests.

Those certainly are Curry numbers, but Butler has yet to score more than 27 points during the Warriors’ current playoff run. He’s their second-leading scorer behind Curry (22.6) with 18.6 points per game, and the closest behind him is Buddy Hield at 12.5.

With Curry out at least a week, Golden State certainly would love “Playoff Jimmy” to make an appearance as the team returns to Chase Center for Game 3 on Saturday. But Butler makes an impact through other means as well and isn’t going to force it — he’s going to keep playing basketball the way he knows how, and the points will come.

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Draymond Green accuses NBA referees of ‘agenda' after Game 2 technical foul originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green is among America’s most polarizing professional athletes, feeling targeted by NBA officials and surely is high on the list of players crudely heckled by fans.

Both factors likely contributed to his brief, pointed postgame statements Thursday night at Target Center in Minneapolis, where the Warriors took a 117-93 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.

After being assessed with a technical foul in the second quarter and getting harassed by fans in the arena, Green demonstratively expressed his feelings to reporters in the locker room.

“I’m not an angry Black man,” he said. “I’m a very successful, educated Black man, with a great family. And I’m great at basketball. Great at what I do. The agenda to try to keep making me look like an angry Black man is crazy. I’m sick of it. It’s ridiculous.”

This is the outburst of a man who feels persecuted by officials – and for years has been disparaged by fans when the Warriors are on the road. Who will ever forget the wretched treatment he received in Boston during the 2022 NBA Finals?

Yet there is an undercurrent of belief around the league that Green’s history of fines and suspensions has resulted in different and less lenient rules for him than his fellow players. Some believe it – Draymond obviously does – but others do not.

After officials’ crew chief Tony Brothers assessed, upon review, a technical foul on Green for a flailing left arm that landed on the face of Minnesota’s Naz Reid with 8:46 left in the second quarter, Green’s furious reaction prompted Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and coach Steve Kerr to take turns interceding.

Kerr ultimately opted to put Green on the bench for the next six minutes in hopes he would cool off. There were no more flare-ups for the remainder of the game, but Draymond’s postgame statement is proof that he still was simmering.

This was Green’s fifth technical foul in nine postseason games. A one-game suspension hits after a player reaches seven. He also has two flagrant fouls on his ledger, and four of those also warrant suspension.

It’s apparent that Green was upset by something that occurred during the game. Maybe some things.