DALLAS — Jonathan Kuminga’s return to the Golden State rotation was prompted by Jimmy Butler’s season-ending knee harm.
Now the Warriors look ahead to phrase on an harm to their apparently disgruntled participant.
Kuminga injured his left ankle and knee when took a clumsy step on a drive to the basket within the second quarter of a 123-115 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night time. He was fouled, made the free throws and stayed within the sport briefly earlier than exiting and never returning.
Coach Steve Kerr mentioned Kuminga would have an MRI on Friday because the Warriors proceed a four-game street journey that simply began. Kuminga walked gingerly within the locker room and declined to talk to reporters, saying he was hurting.
Kuminga hadn’t performed in a month when he scored 20 factors in 21 minutes off the bench in a 145-127 loss to Toronto on Tuesday, Golden State’s first sport since Butler tore the ACL in his proper knee.
Kerr mentioned earlier than the sport the staff had its first likelihood to speak in regards to the Butler harm within the hours earlier than taking part in the Mavericks, and that the membership was wanting ahead to resetting and refocusing.
The coach additionally mentioned he felt the Warriors, who at the moment maintain one of many spots within the play-in event at eighth within the Western Convention, had sufficient depth the compete with out Butler.
Whereas he appeared noncommittal on how a lot part of that rotation Kuminga can be with commerce discuss swirling across the fifth-year participant, Kerr mentioned he was wanting ahead to seeing how the staff responded long term with out Butler.
“I believe all of them perceive that we’re ok to win video games,” Kerr mentioned earlier than the sport. “That’s the job. That is a part of life, it’s a part of taking part in within the NBA. You get some adversity, how do you reply?”
