The Golden State Warriors headed into their next stage of their road trip tonight against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, but during the matchup, lost yet another key piece. Young forward Jonathan Kuminga, who has had a good start to the season, was forced to exit the game against the Spurs, and didn’t return after halftime.

Soon after, the Warriors released an update on social media confirming Kuminga’s status. According to Warriors insider Anthony Slater, “Jonathan Kuminga has been ruled out the rest of the night with knee soreness.” The decision might have been surprising, but the team might’ve been prepared for this situation.

Before the game, Kuminga had been listed as ‘questionable’ due to ‘bilateral knee patellar tendonitis,’ (swelling in both knees) but was cleared before tipoff. His aggressive, rim-attacking style makes him particularly susceptible to these flare-ups, and this latest sequence has occurred at a crucial point for a Golden State squad still looking for consistency.

In his time on the floor, Kuminga hadn’t been doing too well. In 12 minutes of playtime, he recorded just four rebounds and one missed shot. In his absence, the Warriors have opted to lean harder on their depth, with Al Horford, Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski all recording more than 15 minutes. The Warriors also opted for a different starting lineup today, moving Kuminga to the bench after a tough stretch; in his last five games, he’s dropped to 40% from the field and 15% from three. The Warriors started Stephen Curry, Moses Moody, Will Richard, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green, opting to go smaller against the 7’5″ Victor Wembanyama as they opt to play fast. Before today, Kuminga started the previous 12 games.

Before the game, head coach Steve Kerr spoke to the changes, saying, “I think what I would clarify, there’s not an individual player out there who is playing selfishly or who is purposefully doing anything that would hurt the team from winning.” He also spoke on the recent slump the team has faced, adding, “There’s an energy, a vibe that every team has to feel and has to have. And I’ve been really lucky here in my 11 years, we’ve usually had that vibe. But there are always moments in the season where that vibe slips away, and you have to fight to get it back.”

If Kuminga misses any time due to soreness, the Warriors are likely to opt for more Moody minutes, especially with his frame and defensive versatility, along with Quinten Post, who brings size and shooting to the frontcourt, especially helpful against other giants like Wembanyama.

Stephen Curry Erupts as Warriors Rally Past Spurs After Rough Start

Tonight’s game couldn’t have started much worse for the Warriors, who opened the night shooting almost exclusively from deep: 18 of their 22 first-quarter shots were threes, and only four of them were successful. They failed to play well inside the arc, and looked stuck in the mud as the Spurs bullied them inside, with Golden State being down 28-14 in the first quarter.

However, the game flipped in the third quarter, when Stephen Curry took over. The superstar guard dropped 22 points in the quarter, dragging Golden State back from a 16 point deficit, changing the team’s energy. By the time Curry sat late in the third, Jimmy Butler kept the surge alive, helping extend the lead to eight. Curry dropped 46 total points on 13-25 shooting, with Butler adding 28 points.

On the other end, the Spurs fell apart late, despite both Wembanyama and Stephon Castle dropping triple-doubles. De’Aaron Fox struggled tonight, managing just 13 points on poor shooting, with the Warriors managing to close out, winning 125-120. The performance steadied the ship on the second night of a back-to-back, especially after a blowout loss to the OKC Thunder.