Offensively gifted enough to work his way into a rare type of 33-point game — even with neither team crossing the 100-point barrier — Jonathan Kuminga left himself as a player worth discussing by December 5, 2024’s end. His one-of-a-kind night’s biggest play, though, ironically required attacking before anyone could begin speaking. Turning top of the key pick-and-rolls into recurring nightmares for the Houston Rockets’ defense throughout, the blossoming fourth-year talent deploys it once more, with the Golden State Warriors on the doorstep of victory. Perfectly playing his cards, Kuminga, watching both Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet in the middle of a seemingly-miscommunicated switch, turns the lights out on Houston’s victory hopes with a powerful gather and victory-sealing finish. Heroic in a way the box score perfectly described, Kuminga accounted for ⅓ of the Warriors’ 99 points, complementing his career-best scoring night with equally-elite efficiency (13-of-22 shooting), seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and three 3-pointers. The 14-point fourth quarter takeover also made Kuminga the youngest Warrior with multiple 30-point games since 1994. · Dec 6, 2024