The Golden State Warriors continued their winning ways on Saturday night at Chase Center, albeit only just after they outscored the Detroit Pistons 8-2 in the final 35 seconds to record a 115-110 victory.
The veteran trio of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green were huge throughout the game. Curry and Butler combined for 58 points and 18-of-19 from the free-throw line, while Green hit the clutch go-ahead wing 3-pointer down the stretch.
Yet while the Warriors again leant heavily on those three stars, it was young forward Gui Santos who proved the unsung hero in his nearly 25 minutes off the bench. The Brazilian forward fouled out in the final 80 seconds, but otherwise played nearly nine fourth-quarter minutes as Golden State outscored the visitors 31-23 in the final period.
Steve Kerr has made a Gui Santos realization prior to Jonathan Kuminga's return
Santos finished with 15 points and six rebounds, having shot 5-of-8 from the floor and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc. The young forward had an extraordinary and important put-back and-one layup in the fourth, revving up the crowd in the process after out-battling Ausar Thompson on a rare miss from Stephen Curry.
Santos finished as a game-high +12 in plus-minus, appropriately so too given his impact on the game. With Jonathan Kuminga set to return from a long-term ankle injury later on the home-stand, Steve Kerr made his feelings known regarding Santos in his post-game press conference.
Very interesting part of Steve Kerr's answer when asked about bringing back Jonathan Kuminga: "We have to keep playing Gui Santos."
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) March 9, 2025
Having been on the edge of the rotation and playing a similar role as a 6'7" forward, Santos was previously seen as a likely candidate to have his minutes axed once Kuminga returned. Yet the 22-year-old has pressed an irresistible case over recent games, having played at least 17 minutes in four of the last five outings.
Santos has been a combined +38 in a three-game span where Golden State have won by a combined 19 points. That's a testament to his ability to do the little things, while also having shot a respectable 36.1% from 3-point range now on the season.
So where do the minutes come from once Kuminga returns? Buddy Hield again struggled in shooting 1-of-5 against the Pistons, while Moses Moody and Gary Payton II are others who could be impacted. Does the development of Santos, and the return of Kuminga, force Kerr to go smaller more often with less minutes for Quinten Post and Kevon Looney?
These are all questions that have to be answered, but going by Kerr's comments on Saturday, Santos will continue to play a role for the Warriors moving forward and hopefully into the playoffs.