After the Warriors’ crushing 93-117 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 2, Jonathan Kuminga dropped a line that hit harder than any box score: “I’m glad I got the moment to go out there and play no matter, we didn’t win, but, hopefully, again, next game, we go out there and help our team win.” And if that sounds like a guy with something to prove… It’s because he does. To himself, to his team, and apparently, to Jimmy Butler.

This wasn’t just another playoff loss. This was Kuminga stepping into a spotlight he didn’t ask for, replacing Jimmy Butler after his injury in Game 2 vs the Rockets. Drama? Oh yeah. Pressure? Off the charts. But here’s the twist: instead of cracking, Kuminga found support from the most unlikely source, the man he replaced itself.

“I know. I think I don’t know”. (same, JK) That’s how Kuminga started his postgame reflection. “Maybe some of them been through this,” Kuminga reflects on his struggles post-game. And that’s where Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green come in.

So… Jimmy Butler is actually rooting for Kuminga now?

Plot twist of the playoffs, folks. Because let’s be honest, there’s been tension. Cameras caught the cold looks, the awkward benches, and that wild internet rumor mill went into overdrive. But now? Jimmy Butler’s putting it to rest: “Me and JK could thrive, can, and will thrive together.”

And with that, the rumored Jimmy Butler beef? Dead. From supposed rivals to a potential game-changing duo? That’s a redemption arc no one saw coming. One that’s as unexpected as it is inspiring. Enemies to teammates? Tension to trust? We’re eating it up.

It’s also not only about scoring here, it’s about staying in the game mentally, even when things are going downhill. Because what good are you physically, when you lack the mental intelligence for the game?

And what’s kept Kuminga afloat through all this? It’s not just minutes or buckets. It’s joy. The joy of the game, something Kuminga hasn’t forgotten. “As long as your confidence is there, it puts something. You know? It makes you happy,” he said.

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And in a playoff environment that’s colder than a Minnesota winter, joy is the rarest commodity. But Kuminga’s found it, on and off the court, goofing around with Trayce Jackson-Davis, in trash talk that breaks tension, in leaning into the moment. “We just stay talking trash every other time,” he laughed.

With the playoffs heating up, Kuminga’s journey just beginning, and this duo finally clicking? The best is yet to come. Game 3 isn’t just a game anymore. It’s a test. Of belief. Of chemistry. And whether Kuminga and Jimmy Butler can turn one of the season’s weirdest substitutions into a full-blown success story. They’ve got the tools. They’ve got the talent. And now, finally, they’ve got each other’s backs.

Enemies turned allies? Benched turned believer? This playoff plot sure is getting good. Keep an eye out for all NBA-related updates here!