Jonathan Kuminga, a forward with the Golden State Warriors, was forced to leave Sunday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. After attempting to lay the ball in during the second quarter, Kuminga took a hard tumble. Devin Vassell and Harrison Barnes, two defenders in the air, met him. On his way down, though, he stumbled on the court and injured his back.
The forward had to leave the game and return to the locker room. Kuminga came off the bench and played six minutes of action. He had four points and a rebound before he left the game.
Jonathan Kuminga went to the locker room after taking a hard fall in today's game pic.twitter.com/2wiVMSuqLY
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 30, 2025
According to the broadcast, head coach Steve Kerr said Kuminga has been ruled out of the game due to a right ankle soreness.
Kuminga is coming off a 16-point game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. The forward came off the bench and added eight rebounds and three assists to help the Warriors with a 111-95 victory.
The forward for the Warriors is returning from a two-month absence due to an ankle ailment. During that time, he needed to tend to his ailment. Kuminga has made eight appearances since rejoining the starting lineup, helping Golden State finish 5-3. In an attempt to regain his rhythm, he has also spent the majority of his time with the second unit.
During the stretch, the 2022 champion has averaged 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Before his injury, the four-year NBA player averaged 16.8 points, five rebounds and 2.2 assists in the span of 32 games.
Golden State Warriors’ head coach addressed the Kuminga-Butler problem
Nov 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) handles the ball against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn ImagesThe Golden State Warriors have made changes in their squad. The biggest change has been the addition of Jimmy Butler. While most players have been playing seamless basketball with Butler, not everyone has gotten the time to know him on the court. Because of Kuminga’s injury, the forward hasn’t found his rhythm with the six-time All-Star.
Head coach Steve Kerr knows it’s concerning and talked about it before their win against the Pelicans.
“Jimmy is, I’ve talked about this, he’s one of the best [isolation] players in the league,” Kerr said. “So if you’re gonna run iso-offense, you need spacing, proper cutting and proper movement. Jimmy just got here, obviously, one month ago so we’re still adapting your spacing. Within those [isolation plays] requires us to put the right combinations out there and teach the guys where to be and how to connect the plays and JK is still adapting.”
Steve Kerr on the Payton absence: “It opens up an opportunity for (Jonathan Kuminga) to be that defensive stopper, the guy we’ve relied on Gary to be.” pic.twitter.com/nmv26OALhI
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 27, 2025
With only a few weeks into the season, the Golden State Warriors need to make things work for their team. The Warriors will need the production from both Butler and Kuminga for the playoffs, which is why they need to develop chemistry together.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
