Neither Jonathan Kuminga nor his former team, the Golden State Warriors, looked that good in their highly anticipated reunion performance.
The Warriors were defeated by the Atlanta Hawks 126–110, their eighth loss in nine games, while Kuminga went 1 of 9 from the field for just two points, four rebounds, two turnovers and a -6 plus/minus in 22 minutes of action.
Instead, the highlights of the game were Dyson Daniels and CJ McCollum as the duo scored 28 and 23 points to lead Golden State in the backcourt. While the Warriors outscored the Hawks for most of the first half, Atlanta outscored Golden State with a 48–16 run from 6:16 in the second quarter to 6:16 in the third quarter. From there, the Dubs were helpless, lacking enough firepower to get back into the game.
The loss dropped Golden State to 33–38 on the season, its lowest mark under .500 all season. After the game, Steve Kerr acknowledged where the Warriors are at the moment.
“This is the hardest thing to go through,” Kerr said. "Losing and getting destroyed by injuries. And feeling like you're pushing, you're trying, you're competing, but things aren't going your way. It's definitely a tough, tough time for everybody. It's human nature to get down, hang your head."
With a storm of injuries sidelining not only their stars, Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry, but also key role players like Moses Moody and Al Horford, the Warriors have completely collapsed after the All-Star break. After taking a strong hold on the eighth seed in the West, they now find themselves in 10th place, a game and a half behind the Clippers.
Are reinforcements on the way for the Warriors?
The good news for the Warriors is that they should get some firepower soon in the coming days. Curry's re-evaluation on Saturday gave him the all-clear to resume live-action work in team practice in the coming days.
It's another step in the right direction after Curry resumed working non-contact shooting drills with the team on the road this week. Before traveling with the team to Dallas, Curry will participate in 5-on-5 scrimmages with available coaches and players in Atlanta on Sunday morning.
Kerr called this specific checkpoint a "big day" because the team will have a better understanding of when he can return after Rick Celebrini evaluates him. Curry has missed 21 consecutive games due to patellofemoral pain syndrome and a right kneecap injury. Golden State is 6-15 since Curry was sidelined.
As far as Moody's is concerned, their recent reassessment has also brought positive results. According to the team he is making "good progress", and they have stepped up his work on the court with shooting drills after not being able to shoot due to his sprained right wrist. He will also be cast in live-action work in the coming days.
Moody missed the last 10 games due to a wrist injury, derailing his productive season. He is averaging 11.9 points on 40.2 percent 3-point shooting in 59 games this year.
Can Golden State rally?
At the end of the day, it seems like it's a season from hell for Golden State. A team can only do so much when it loses its best performance due to an ACL tear.
But it is not that they have lagged behind like other teams this season. To his credit, he has battled and competed in every game since Curry went out. Two-way players have given him as much as two players can give. Youngsters like Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski have shown how good they would look if they were next to the stars. It's just that their efforts and patience have not been rewarded.
"I'm just trying to encourage guys to keep competing," Kerr said after the game. "But to try to bring energy and stay positive because reinforcements will come, and we have to be ready for that. But in the meantime, I'm proud of the way they're playing. They're working hard, but they're in a tough situation. We're all in a tough situation."
The Warriors will look to complete their 1-4 road trip with a matchup with the Dallas Mavericks.
