The Golden State Warriors returned to the win column with a 121-115 victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.
Orlando has been making a name for itself this season with stellar performances by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as a result of their development. As such, Golden State’s win was meaningful following a tough stretch of losses.
Following the game, Steve Kerr used his postgame media availability to praise Jonathan Kuminga‘s efforts on both ends of the court. He noted the third-year forward did a solid job of containing Orlando’s wings during the second half, and how he did a good job of creating easy offense for himself.
“I thought JK had a nice game,” Kerr said. “He played hard. He wasn’t into the ball enough in the first half, and Wagner was getting downhill. I thought his defense picked up, and he was better in the second half. JK gives us those buckets around the hoop. Those are big for us; we don’t score easily around the basket all the time. So, when he can get to the hoop, get to the foul line, get us easy buckets, it’s really important for us. I thought he played a really good game.”
Kuminga ended the game against Orlando with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks on 50% shooting from the field. Since Draymond Green’s suspension, Kuminga has established himself as a key member of the starting lineup and is proving talented enough to be a significant piece of the Warriors roster.
Kerr praised Kuminga's work defending the Magic's wings and providing rim pressure 💪 pic.twitter.com/WEmkWf8fb6
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 3, 2024
Kuminga’s performances have been impressive this season, and it’s clear he has taken a developmental leap. It will be interesting to see if he remains in the starting rotation once Green returns from his suspension.
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