Jonathan Kuminga finally got his chance, and he blew it. When Jimmy Butler got hurt on Wednesday, Steve Kerr had no option but to call JK’s number, who had three straight DNPs prior to that night. As expected, the youngster looked rusty, finishing with only 11 points on 4 of 12 shooting. But everyone expected the forward to be more prepared for tonight’s Game 3, realizing that Butler could get sidelined due to the pelvis and deep glute muscle contusion. However, Kuminga failed to answer the call yet again.

Despite the home court advantage, JK couldn’t shake off his rust and struggled all night. He somehow played even worse than he did in Game 2, scoring only 7 points on merely seven shot attempts. Fortunately, his disappointing performance did not ruin the Warriors’ night, as they ended up beating the Rockets, anyway. Thanks to several key players stepping up. After the big win, Steve Kerr credited every key contributor, seemingly ignoring Kuminga, “Buddy flipped it. Gary Payton flipped it. Both those guys. But everybody contributed you know Quinten had 12 rebounds, we had Moses come in and make a huge 3 in the second half.”

With Butler out, the Bay Area team needed a secondary scoring option besides Stephen Curry. Buddy Hield filled that role by dropping 17 points, with five three-pointers. Meanwhile, GPII also had solid 16 points off the bench when he was brought in as a replacement for an out of form Kuminga. So, it’s understandable why Kerr highlighted their performance. But him not mentioning JK in the post-game presser raises massive concern about the forward’s future in this series.

The concerns weren’t just about Kuminga’s on-court feel; the numbers also told the story. The box score illuminated the issue that the eye test alone couldn’t capture. Kuminga finished with the only negative plus/minus among the starters at -5, while every other starter had a minimum of +7. The Rockets outperformed the Warriors during his time on the floor, making it clear that something had to change. Kerr, being the seasoned coach he is, quickly made the decision to rely on the experienced duo of Payton and Hield to close out the game.

While Kuminga was on the court, the Warriors kept the game competitive but were unable to gain an edge. So, Kerr benched the forward in the final quarter, bringing in Payton. And the strategy worked, as they outscored the Rockets 35-22 in that period, sealing the game. So, JK might not get another chance in Kerr’s rotation going forward knowing how good they are without him. Especially if Butler makes a comeback on Monday.

Steve Kerr uncertain about Jimmy Butler’s status for Game 4 as key injury details emerge

Apart from crediting some of his players, Kerr also commended the entire team’s effort amid Butler’s absence, “This is what the playoffs are about. They’re about injuries and they’re about guys stepping up and we had both today. With Jimmy being out, you have to be able to withstand that and win a game here and there… You gotta find a way and our guys did that today.” While the Warriors got the job done tonight, the best-case scenario for them would be for Jimmy to return on Monday.

Per veteran insider Anthony Slater, the forward worked out on the practice court before tonight’s game. However, the medical team held him out to give his injury a couple more days to heal. So, there is optimism that he will return for Game 4 following the much-needed rest. But when Kerr was asked about his availability, he wasn’t really sure about it.

“He’s literally day-to-day. So, you know we have tomorrow off. It’ll be helpful for him to have another day and then it’s a night game, so he gets a few extra hours. So, we’ll see. I have no idea right now if he’s going to play.” The head coach remarked.

Well, Butler seemed pretty active tonight on the bench as he motivated his team from the sidelines. Knowing how tough Jimmy is both physically and mentally, he is likely to push through the pain and make a comeback in Game 4, realizing that another win would put the Warriors 3-1 up and give them a significant edge in the series. Although Butler’s return might put Kuminga back on the bench, Dub Nation would not mind it one bit if it leads to them eliminating the Rockets.