SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors opened the door to disaster Tuesday night but weren’t quite sure how to close it. I passed through the roof.
Neither did Andrew Wiggins. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson were active and in the fight but couldn’t drop the hammer on the nasty but seriously flawed Charlotte Hornets.
So children came to the rescue.
In a game that never should have come, and without a streak of tricked possessions and cold shooting, Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga took Golden State’s 21-point total to 16 in the fourth quarter. Earned. slip down.
“It builds their confidence,” Thompson said After winning 110-105“And I know that being able to trust them leads to a coach’s confidence.”
The final five minutes of Golden State’s 12-7 win over Charlotte, with JP and JK scoring 11 points combined, ushered in an intriguing new era. We’ve seen his four-ring veterans of Andre Iguodala, Curry, Green and Thompson perform admirably in tight moments on the biggest stages. Their achievements are on record.
We’ve seen the 23-year-old Poole play a hero last season and this season as well, defeating stubborn opponents with sharp shots and a variety of slippery moves that break through defenses. He did it again this evening.
“Jordan closed out the game well with some spin moves and layups and JK found a one-on dunk,” coach Steve Kerr said. did it well.”
JP needed a very effective sidekick. Enter Kuminga.
The second-year forward, who turned 20 in October, rarely gets a meaningful second half in close games, not even the entire fourth quarter. But Kerr stayed with him. Even as the Hornets closed an 11-point gap to tie the game, Kuminga was on the court for all but two-quarters of a second.
“We went with him on his defense,” Kerr said. “He’s playing very well in defense and defending the Lamelo[ball]. I wanted to be with him because of the impact he had on the ball and his energy. He defended. made a big play at , which led to some offensive plays.
”. . . he was rewarded for that defensive effort. he was just awesome. ”
Cuminga contributed significantly to shooting the ball 7-of-25 (28%) from the field, but scored 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field, had 6 rebounds, and had 2 Recorded two assists and two steals.
But it was in the fourth quarter that Kuminga found a level unseen in the previous 100 NBA games. Called a loose-ball foul with 4:57 remaining, he clenched his teeth and raised his fist, boosting his resolve.
What followed was JK sticking the absolute best of his game down the Hornets’ throat.
Kuminga went 3-on-3 from the field in the final three minutes, with two dunks and a crafty floater. He added his 3 rebounds (his 2 by brute force), 1 assist, and a key steal, and he pulled the ball off Hornets big man PJ Washington with 3:16 left to score the score. was tied 101-101.
“He looked like Andre Iguodala on that play,” Kerr said. “It’s Andre’s type of play and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. Andre has coached him all season and last year.
“(Kuminga) has come a really long way.
The Warriors, other than Poole and Kuminga, scored 5 points on 2/11 shooting in the 4th quarter. Combined, JP and JK scored 16 points on 7/9.
“I’m incredibly proud,” Thompson said of Cuminga. “It means getting big buckets all at once while playing full-court defense on-ball. Without him, without his effort, we wouldn’t have won tonight. I am very proud.
Related: Some of Poole’s body changes during the NBA maturation process
This finish bodes well for the future, and perhaps can be used to inspire more moments for the youngsters on the roster to work together and do what the veterans have been doing for a decade.
Children don’t grow overnight, but every step is a sign of progress.
