Neither Jonathan Kuminga nor his former team, the Golden State Warriors, looked all that good in their highly anticipated reunion showdown.
The Warriors got blown out 126-110 by the Atlanta Hawks for their eighth loss in nine games while Kuminga went 1-of-9 from the field for only two points, four rebounds, two turnovers, and a -6 plus/minus in 22 minutes of action.
Instead, the highlight of the game was Dyson Daniels and CJ McCollum as the duo collected 28 and 23 points apiece to overwhelm Golden State in the backcourt. While the Warriors fought the Hawks tough throughout most of the first half, Atlanta blitzed Golden State with a 48-16 run from the 6:16 in the second quarter to the 6:16 in the third. From there, the Dubs were helpless, lacking adequate firepower to get them back in the game.
The loss dropped Golden State to 33-38 on the season, the lowest they've been below .500 all season. After the game, Steve Kerr acknowledged where the Warriors are at right now.
“This is the hardest thing to go through,” Kerr said. “Losing and being decimated by injuries. And just feeling like you're pushing, you're trying, you're competing, but things aren't going your way. It's a tough, tough time, for sure, for everybody. It's human nature to, kind of, get down, hang your head.”
With a storm of injuries sidelining not only their stars, Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry, but also key role players like Moses Moody and Al Horford, the Warriors have just completely collapsed post-All-Star break. After holding a firm grasp on the eighth seed in the West, they now find themselves in 10th, a game and a half behind the Clippers.
Are reinforcements on the way for the Warriors?
The good news for the Warriors is that they should regain some firepower soon, in the coming days. Curry's reevaluation on Saturday gave him the all-clear to resume live-action work in team practices in the coming days.
It's another step in the right direction after Curry resumed non-contact shooting drill work this week with the team on the road. Curry will participate in a 5-on-5 scrimmage with available coaches and players on Sunday morning in Atlanta before heading to Dallas with the team.
Kerr described this specific checkpoint as a “big day” as the team will get a good understanding of when he can return once Rick Celebrini can evaluate him. Curry has missed 21 consecutive games since going down with patellofemoral pain syndrome and bone bruising in his right knee. Golden State is 6-15 since Curry was sidelined.
As for Moody, his recent reevaluation also came back with a positive result. He's making “good progress” according to the team, and they've intensified his on-court work with shooting drills after not being able to shoot on his sprained right wrist. He will also be reincorporated into live-action work in the coming days.
Moody has missed the last 10 games due to his wrist injury, derailing his productive season. He's averaging 11.9 points on 40.2 percent 3-point shooting in 59 games this year.
Can Golden State rally?
At the end of the day, it just seems like it's a season from hell for Golden State. There's only so much a team can do when they lose one of their best to an ACL tear.
But it's not like they've tanked this season away like other teams have done. To their credit, they've fought and competed in every game since Curry went out. The two-way players have given them as much as two players can give. The young guys like Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski have shown flashes of how good they'd look if they were next to stars. It's just that their efforts and grit haven't been rewarded.
“I'm just trying to encourage the guys to keep competing,” Kerr said after the game. “But to try to bring the energy and stay positive because reinforcements will come, and we have to be ready for that. But in the meantime, I'm proud of the way they're playing. They're playing hard, but they're in a tough spot. We're all in a tough spot.”
The Warriors will look to complete their 1-4 road trip with a matchup with the Dallas Mavericks.
