Poole, Kuminga Show up Big for Warriors Against OKC
The Warriors escaped what could have been a trap game in Oklahoma City tonight.
Winning 110 to 98, the Dubs almost gave up a large lead they had built, largely thanks to Luguentz Dort and Darius Bazley scoring 20+ points each (Dort finished with 26), before a Klay Thompson three put the game out of reach for the upstart Thunder:
While Klay and Steph Curry put the caps on the Warriors win with outstanding play from both guards, the win can be attributed just as much to some of the Dubs’ young guns: Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga.
Poole had one of his best all-around games this season, putting up 11 points on 5/8 shooting (1/4 from three, meaning he nailed all his 2s) while grabbing 8 boards and dishing 8 assists. His patience was on full display, looking like a playmaker more than ever in his 30 minutes on the floor. Despite not getting to the line, he put enough pressure on the inside to give the Warriors the looks they needed from three.
Jonathan Kuminga had another outstanding game, seemingly taking his Rising Stars snub personally. He was 6/11 from the field, shooting 4/6 on his free throws and putting up 16/4/4 despite missing all of his triples. He had a tremendous impact on the game, making defensive stops and throwing down some highlights in the process, including this gravity-lacking put-back:
The Warriors’ future showed out big tonight against a rebuilding team in OKC. Although the rookie and his 3rd-year point guard were the stars, Curry finished just a rebound short of a triple-double (18/9/10) and made some great plays down the stretch despite giving up more than enough turnovers early. The Warriors are now on a 9-game win streak since Steph Curry kicked a chair over.
The next game Golden State plays will be Wednesday against the Jazz, one of the West’s better competitors. The team has played some tough opponents in this recent stretch, and should figure to face a solid litmus test for their stars on the road in Utah this week.
(Photo credit: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)