On Thursday, the Golden State Warriors will travel to Texas to take on the Houston Rockets in a critical game in the race for the 10th spot in the Western Conference standings. The Rockets had closed the gap to the 10th-placed Warriors to one game, but a two-game losing streak, coupled with Golden State’s impressive run of five straight wins, has seen the gap increase to three. The Warriors can take a massive step towards securing a play-in tournament spot with a win on Thursday, but a defeat would put them under immense pressure.
Advertisement
The Warriors received a timely boost ahead of their trip to Houston. Forward Jonathan Kuminga, who has missed his team’s last four outings with a knee injury, is reportedly close to returning to action. In the NBA’s latest injury report, the Warriors’ young star’s status for the game against the Rockets has been listed as ‘Questionable’, suggesting he’ll be with the team on the road trip.
Head coach Steve Kerr has hinted that Kuminga will likely suit up and play against the Rockets. The Warriors have already won their season series against Houston and a win on Thursday night will extend their lead over them to four games with only six games left in the two teams’ regular season schedules.
Warriors’ record without Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga has had a breakout season with the Warriors. He’s the team’s third-highest scorer behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and also ranks top five in rebounds and steals. His injury should have been a massive blow to the Warriors, but that wasn’t the case.
In Kuminga’s absence, the Warriors are 5-0. While two of their five wins are over the Charlotte Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs, they recorded impressive victories over the Orlando Magic, despite losing Draymond Green early in the game due to an ejection, and the Dallas Mavericks.
Golden State’s impressive four-game winning streak with rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis starting has prompted some fans to demand that the team continue fielding the same lineup and bring Kuminga off the bench.
However, it’s unlikely that the Warriors will adhere to those demands and will likely start Kuminga against the Rockets if they receive a green light from their medical staff. The forward’s return for the home stretch of their regular season schedule is a massive boost for the team. He’ll have enough games to clear the cobwebs and get back in rhythm ahead of the Warriors’ do-or-die play-in tournament schedule.
