Warriors Announce Jonathan Kuminga News Before Grizzlies Game
On Tuesday, the Memphis Grizzlies will host the Golden State Warriors as they look to get back on track. Memphis has lost six of their last eight games and will up against the reigning champion Boston Celtics on Monday night. With just a handful of games remaining on their schedule, the Grizzlies own the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference but are only two games ahead of the No. 8 seed Los Angeles Clippers. After homecourt advantage seemed like a near guarantee for much of 2025, the Grizzlies are now in danger of becoming a Play-In team.
The Grizzlies’ battle against the Warriors will be especially important for them since they are only separated by one game in the standings. On Monday, the Warriors made an announcement regarding Jonathan Kuminga that will be important to keep an eye on for both fanbases ahead of Tuesday’s game.
Kuminga missed over two months of action due to an ankle injury. Since making his return on March 13, the 22-year-old has appeared in every game for the Warriors. However, the Warriors have added him to their injury report ahead of their game in Memphis.
According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Kuminga is listed as questionable due to a right pelvic contusion, not because of his ankle. “Jonathan Kuminga is questionable tomorrow at Memphis. The Warriors are now listing it as a right pelvic contusion, not an ankle issue,” Slater said on X.
Until there is another update, Kuminga’s game status will be worth monitoring for the Grizzlies as they look to stop the red-hot Warriors.
Warriors Win Over Spurs Dampened by Another Bad News: ‘Such a Bummer’
The Golden State Warriors‘ massive victory on Sunday — a 148-106 rout of the San Antonio Spurs — was dimmed by another Jonathan Kuminga injury.
“Such a bummer,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters of Kuminga’s latest injury. “[He was] just coming back, finding his rhythm, playing well. So, hopefully, it’s nothing too serious.”
The Warriors ruled out Kuminga for the remainder of the game with a right ankle soreness after he fell awkwardly on a strong drive to the basket with 6:69 left in the second quarter. The rising forward missed 32 games this season due to a significant ankle sprain.
“I hope not,” he told the SF Chronicle’s Warriors beat reporter.
Kuminga exited the game after tallying four points and a rebound in seven minutes. He was plus-9 during his brief stint.
Kuminga’s injury could not come at the worst possible time. They are already without Gary Payton II, their best perimeter defender who is out with a thumb injury. Kerr was banking on Kuminga to fill Payton’s defensive void.
The Warriors are in the thick of a fight for a playoff berth while Kuminga is also fighting for his next contract. The 22-year-old former lottery pick will enter restricted free agency this summer after his camp and the Warriors were far apart in the extension talks before the season.
Warriors Aim For Higher Seeding
Second-year guard Brandin Podziemski made a career-high seven 3-pointers en route to a game-high 27 points to lead the Warriors (43-31), who are now only one game back of the Memphis Grizzlies (44-30) for the fifth seed.
The big win pushed the Warriors back inside the top six of the stacked Western Conference. Their next four games will be against teams ahead of them in the standings beginning with a critical matchup on Tuesday against the Grizzlies.
“Good thing for us that the [Los Angeles] Lakers won because we have the tie-breaker at least right now with the Grizzlies and so putting them down a game, [if] they can lose against Boston and that we can beat them, that’ll put us in the [fifth] spot,” Podziemski told reporters after the win. “So, I’m just excited to play against some [of the teams ahead of us]. [It’s] another opportunity [for us to climb in the standings].”
