The spotlight belonged to Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II, who stepped up with huge performances in the absence of Jimmy Butler in Game 3.
With Hield and Payton combining for 33 points off the bench to support Stephen Curry‘s 36 points, the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets 104-93 to grab a 2-1 series lead.
Swept under the rug was Jonathan Kuminga setting the defensive tone on Jalen Green, who was held to nine points after exploding for 38 in the Rockets’ Game 2 win.
Draymond Green, who has championed Kuminga since the Warriors selected him as the No. 7 pick in 2021, made sure to give him props.
“I also want to speak about Jonathan Kuminga. His defense starting out on Jalen Green was huge,” Green said on his podcast “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis” that aired on Sunday. “When you don’t allow a guy to get a rhythm to start the game, that can change the game for offensive players. Jonathan Kuminga’s defensive pressure on the ball to start the game was humongous.”
Davis agreed with Green.
“Especially coming off Jalen Green’s Game 2 when he’s having his way, to establish that at the beginning of the game, it’s saying you are going to get the attention that you deserve,” Davis, a former two-time NBA All-Star, added. “I’ve been waiting for that from Kuminga. I’ve been waiting for that all year. It was a joy to see that, so shout out to Jonathan Kuminga for stepping up in the beginning and establishing himself on the defensive end.
“Now he’s going to have a breakthrough offensive game, mark my words.”
Jonathan Kuminga’s Tone-Setting Defense
In Game 3, Kuminga defended Green for 16 possessions and limited him to only three attempts. The Rockets star shot 1-of-2 against him, but as a team, the Rockets were 2-for-5 overall when Kuminga was the primary defender.
“Every game is different. JK could come in next game and have a monster game, and he missed three games,” Kerr told reporters. “We didn’t play him three games. That’s not an easy thing to do and I thought he came in and gave us important minutes.”
Kuminga’s playing time, however, is tied with Butler, who remains questionable for Game 4. If Butler misses time again, Kuminga might get another start.
Gary Payton II Joins Closing Lineup
While Kuminga got the starting nod, it was Payton II who finished the game.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr still went with the veteran during crunch time. Payton held Green to only one attempt and the Rockets star missed it in 20 possessions he was his primary defender.
Kuminga finished with seven points on 3-of-7 shooting, two assists against one turnover and one rebound in 17 minutes. The 22-year-old forward had the worst plus-minus among all Warriors players who saw action in Game 3 with minus-5.
In contrast, Payton delivered 16 points, including nine straight points in the fourth quarter that turned an 84-83 deficit into a 92-86 Warriors lead.
Payton was plus-1 in 22 minutes off the bench. He and Hield led the Warriors reserves, who outscored their Rockets counterparts 42-28.
