What we learned as Kuminga soars in Warriors' blowout win vs. Grizz

What we learned as Kuminga soars in Warriors' blowout win vs. Grizz originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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SAN FRANCISCO – Stephen Curry added to his legacy as the NBA’s 3-point king, tallying his 300^th of the season for the fifth time of his illustrious career and helping the Warriors to a 137-116 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday at Chase Center.

Curry had 14 points and was 4 of 7 beyond the arc. Only two other players – Golden State teammate Klay Thompson and James Harden of the Los Angeles Clippers – have made 300 3-pointers in a single season, each having done it once.

Jonathan Kuminga had another solid game with 26 points and five rebounds while helping the Warriors to their 10^th win in the last 12 games against the Grizzlies. Draymond Green chipped in with another hard-hat night, scoring 10 points with 12 rebounds and seven assists, finishing plus-25. Andrew Wiggins added 22 points and 10 rebounds.

The Warriors got plenty of scoring all around. Klay Thompson scored 23 with five 3-pointers off the bench while Chris Paul had 12 points and 14 assists. Paul remains two steals shy of becoming the third player in NBA history to reach 2,600 during his career.

The win was critical for Golden State for multiple reasons.

The Warriors (36-32) pulled within one-half game of the idle Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference.

Golden State also needed the win to generate some momentum at home. The Warriors had lost their previous three games at Chase Center to the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls – three games that, at least on paper, appeared winnable for the Dubs.

Those losses were significant and kept Golden State from gaining ground in the crowded West. As it is, the Warriors will need a very strong finish over the final 14 games just to ensure a spot in the NBA play-in tournament.

Memphis (23-47) dropped its fourth straight game and has lost 11 of its last 14.

The game was close for much of the first half until the Warriors closed the second quarter with a 10-0 run. Golden State then put up 40 points in the third quarter, getting nine each from Wiggins and Thompson, to pull away.

It got so lopsided that Warriors coach Steve Kerr was able to empty his bench and rest his starters in the fourth quarter.

Here are the takeaways from Wednesday’s game:

Kuminga keeps rocking

Kuminga has firmly established himself as the Warriors’ most reliable scorer behind Curry.

The young forward had 11 of Golden State’s 23 points in the first quarter, then put on a show in the final two minutes of the second quarter. He stroked a 3-pointer atop the arc, then made a steal on the ensuing Grizzlies possession and raced in for a power jam that had the Chase Center crowd roaring.

He made another highlight play in the fourth quarter when he grabbed a long alley oop pass from Paul and dunked.

That’s eight straight games in double figures for the No. 7 overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft and the 46^th time in the past 48 games that Kuminga has put up 10 or more.

Kuminga still hasn’t reached his peak, but the days of him being up-and-down on a daily basis seem to be in the rear view mirror now. He’s also playing with a lot more confidence, and it’s showing.

Wiggins rounding into form

Wiggins’ inconsistency has been one of the major storylines surrounding the Warriors this season, but he’s been on the upswing over the past week.

Against Memphis, Wiggins showed off a nice touch with his mid-range shots and didn’t appear to force anything. He was letting the flow of the game come to him, and when it did, he took advantage, shooting 9 of 14 overall and 4 of 6 on threes.

In his last five games Wiggins is shooting at a 58.6-percent clip (34 for 58).

Wiggins played such a key role for Golden State in the NBA Finals two years ago, and that’s who the Warriors thought they were getting when they signed him to a lucrative extension.

He might have had more downs than ups this season, but if he can get going on a regular basis, the Warriors’ chances to make the playoffs will improve dramatically.

Temper, temper, technicals

Things got chippy in the second quarter when a minor fracas broke out near the Memphis bench right after timeout was called. Green and Desmond Bane of the Grizzlies both received technical fouls after officials reviewed the mess.

Green and Bane went face to face and became entangled as players and coaches from both teams came out on the floor. Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins was knocked down on the floor during the mess but didn’t appear to get hurt.

Moments before that, Green and Santi Aldama seemed to have a minor exchange as the Warriors were trying to inbounds the ball. At one point it appeared Green put his hands on Aldama’s chest, but there was no pushing or shoving.

It’s Green’s eighth technical of the 2023-24 season, tied for 15^th most in the NBA.

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