Jonathan Kuminga Stats Tonight: How did Warriors forward fare in NBA Cup quarterfinal vs. Rockets?

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga was steady in their NBA Cup quarterfinal match against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, despite the team losing 91-90 and missing out on the final semifinal spot in the league’s tournament-within-a-tournament.

The former seventh overall pick out of the G League had a team-high 20 points on 8-of-20 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds, in the loss, which effectively ended their spirited NBA Cup run that had them topping West Group C to advance to the KO stage.

Jonathan Kuminga's stats against the Houston Rockets

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	FG	3-PT FG	FT	+/-
Jonathan Kuminga	10	1	0	0	1	1	4-9	1-4	1-4	-4

Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors battled back after trailing 44-37 at halftime. They outscored the Rockets 32-24, in the third quarter, to seize the lead, 69-68, heading into the fourth and final frame. In the final stanza, the two teams battled back-and forth, with the Warriors holding a precarious one-point lead, 83-82, at the five-minute mark of the quarter.

They continued to jostle as the contest wore on, fighting to a 90-89 count, with Golden State leading, with 27 seconds to go. But the home team Rockets found an opening to seize the lead after Jalen Green was fouled in a loose ball play with four seconds to go.

He drained his two free throws which gave them the lead and the victory thereafter. The win completes the semifinal cast for the NBA Cup, with the Rockets joining the Milwaukee Bucks, OKC Thunder and Atlanta Hawks in the final four to be played in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Jonathan Kuminga says he doesn’t mind coming off the bench

Jonathan Kuminga made his ninth start of the season in their NBA Cup match against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday and made a good account of himself. He, however, said that even if he came off the bench he was fine with it.

He shared this in a report that came out on Sports Illustrated in late November, highlighting that he is not bothered with a role off the bench in Golden State despite posting solid numbers.

The 22-year-old G League product said when he was recently thrust back as a starter:

“When [they] took me out the starting five, I didn’t complain. Coming in today and telling me that I’m going to be in the starting five , I was happy but that hasn’t affected me at all. I still go out there and just play and be free. It’s not something that really affected me or anything like that.”

"I feel like it’s been a great role (off the bench) and I’m happy with it. I haven’t complained or anything like that … that’s what they want me to do and I feel very comfortable at doing it," he added.

In the ongoing campaign, Kuminga is averaging 15 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and a steal in the 22 games he has played. Jonathan Kuminga is set to become a restricted free agent after this season and is seeking a max contract.