Warriors vs. Bulls: Two things we learned
1. Warriors continue to maintain health
Many were scared when Draymond Green limped off the court during the third quarter of Wednesday’s win against the Timberwolves. After being questionable for the matchup with the Bulls, Green took to the floor and, in a great sign for Warriors fans, looked his usual self on both ends of the floor.
Nerves again arose when Otto Porter Jr. limped off with a similar injury following a collision with Caruso in the second quarter. But he returned to the game in the second half, great signs given his chequered injury history.
2. Kuminga may have earned important minutes
It’s been a wait for prized rookie Jonathan Kuminga, especially when looking at some of the stand-out performances from fellow rookies early in the season. But make no mistake about it, this could prove a breakthrough game for the 19-year-old from Congo.
Kuminga earned important minutes alongside Curry in both halves, demonstrating an ability to compete particularly on the defensive end. After biting on a DeRozan pump fake early on, the number seven overall pick had a number of excellent defensive possessions when matched up on the Bulls elite scoring duo.
Offensively, Kerr seemed comfortable allowing him to handle the ball a little bit.
Incredibly, his first bucket came from a Curry screen that allowed him to get downhill and finish at the rim. His explosiveness was on show late in the game, firstly rising for a big dunk in transition, before pump faking a three and driving baseline for another vicious slam.
He finished with eight points on 4-6 in nearly 16 minutes of action. More importantly, there was no sign of the issues that many thought could derail his chances of getting meaningful minutes; defensive lapses, and turnover mistakes.
The Warriors conclude their eight-game homestand with a 7-1 record, now hitting the road for four straight games starting with Charlotte on Sunday.