SAN FRANCISCO — Jonathan Kuminga’s Warriors history has been like a roller-coaster so far.
For every big play the 21-year-old forward makes, there’s usually a counter-play, either offensively and defensively, that often leaves fans — and sometimes his teammates — scratching their heads in bewilderment.
That wasn’t the case Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics, as the Warriors rallied to a 132-126 overtime win at Chase Center.
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Kuminga had 17 points, seven rebounds and two steals, one of them coming early in OT when he stepped in front of a Al Horford pass intended for Jayson Tatum, then raced down the court for a big dunk that broke a tie and put the Warriors in front for good.
It marked the seventh consecutive time and the eighth time in the past nine games that Kuminga has scored in double figures, all of them coming after he was shut out in just 9:34 of on-court time in a Nov. 28 NBA In-Season Tournament loss to the Sacramento Kings.
That’s critical because Kuminga has started for Golden State while Draymond Green serves his indefinite NBA suspension.
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“Everybody stayed ready, and the way our season’s gone, you never really know how it’s going to look,” said Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who praised Kuminga’s play at both ends of the floor. “The way we dug deep tonight was a big morale booster. Now you’ve got to capitalize on it.”
That’s what Kuminga has tried to do with Green gone. In his mind, he must do things like he did Tuesday night because of the standard the Warriors’ veterans have established.
“We have a lot of Hall of Famers on the team. They’re not here to lose a game, they’re not here to lose [or rebuild] or anything like that,” Kuminga said. “They have that confidence every day they come to work. They’re not coming to lose. They’re coming to win.
“Me and the rest of the young guys, we just have to adapt to that, to a point where we don’t need to be losing every time. It becomes something where it brings confidence to everybody and motivation to come every day to work.”
Kuminga’s increased production has come as a result of him becoming more comfortable with his role in the Warriors’ system in his third NBA season.
The Warriors’ confidence in Kuminga also is growing. It’s notable that he took 13 shots, third-most on the team behind Curry and Klay Thompson, who shot 21 times apiece.
“Pretty much offensively just knowing my spot, knowing where I need to go, knowing what I need to do, especially with certain people on the floor,” Kuminga said. “On defense, just staying solid and not fouling.”
Kuminga spent much of his night defending Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who scored just 15 points — 12 under his season average — and shot 5 of 17 from the field (2 of 9 on 3-pointers) in 41 minutes.
Kerr was quite pleased with that, as well as with rookie center Trayce Jackson-Davis, who posted his first NBA double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
“Both guys were great,” Kerr said. “They give us the athleticism, the bounce, with the length and the ability to block shots and challenge shots. Both JK and Trayce were really a big factor in our defense kind of getting back in the game in the second half.”