Warriors make defining Jonathan Kuminga decision in blowout over Bulls

The Golden State Warriors have built on their momentum from Saturday's surprise win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, dominating the Chicago Bulls from the opening whistle in a 123-91 blowout win at United Center.

The Warriors not only did it without the injured Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, but also Jonathan Kuminga who was a DNP in a defining decision that could finally signal the end of his up-and-down career at the franchise.

Jonathan Kuminga was a DNP in Golden State's blowout win in Chicago

Kuminga had struggled in his four games since returning from knee tendinitis, with Steve Kerr making the bold decision to bench the young forward in favor of Gui Santos who had impressed against the Cavaliers.

It proved the right decision as the Warriors controlled things from the outset, pouring in 38 first-quarter points after just 22 combined in their last two opening periods against the Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers.

Quinten Post opened with a trio of 3-pointers in his opening stint, before finishing with an equal season-high 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor and 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.

The returning presence of Jimmy Butler was also key in a far more productive Golden State offense, with the 6x All-Star going for 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals against his former team.

While Kuminga's struggles led to his axing from the rotation, Brandin Podziemski was able to turn around some of his underwhelming production with a team-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists on 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range.

It was an impressive performance from the third-year guard who was removed from the starting lineup on Saturday. The man who replaced him, two-way contracted guard Pat Spencer, again got the start and put in another strong display, going for 12 points, five rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes.

De'Anthony Melton also made a strong return after resting in Cleveland, finishing with 13 points and two steals in just over 17 minutes off the bench.

While it was so good to see a host of Golden State players get going as part of a much improved offensive effort, it was again the defense that stood up in keeping Chicago to just 36% from the floor and 27.5% from 3-point range.

The Warriors will now have their first significant break of the season before facing the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, with the hope that Curry, Butler and Draymond Green are all back for a notable Western Conference matchup.