Kuminga's quiet play lifts Wolves
The forward posted 16 points and eight rebounds in a win over Houston while holding opponents to a 38% field goal average.
By Sofia Ramirez ·
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu swung the ball to the corner on Wednesday night in Houston, leaving Jonathan Kuminga with a split second to act.
Kuminga released an open triple that went in, helping Minnesota hold a two-point lead with three minutes remaining. On the next possession, Dosunmu missed a corner shot. Rudy Gobert rebounded and tipped it to Kuminga, who finished at the rim to extend the lead to seven. Kuminga then forced a Kevin Durant turnover on defense before hitting another three to put the game away. He finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
The Timberwolves signed Kuminga in August to fill a specific void. Head coach Chris Finch described the role clearly: Kuminga was hired to be the team's "dirty work guy," tasked with running the floor, securing rebounds, and guarding at a high level. Finch compared Kuminga to other championship-caliber utility players like OG Anunoby of the Knicks, Aaron Gordon of the Nuggets, and Andrew Wiggins of the Warriors.
"We knew he needed to be our dirty work guy, run the floor, get rebounds, guard at a high level," Finch said. "Just be some connective tissue out there doing all the things he can do with his physicality and his athleticism."
Kuminga has delivered on that mandate through the season. Opponents shoot just 38% from the field when he is on the floor. He leads the Timberwolves with nine blocked shots and ranks fourth on the team with 5.7 rebounds per game. Offensively, his usage percentage sits at 16.1%, seventh on the roster. However, he is shooting 46.3% from three-point range, a mark that ties him for 10th in the NBA. He is also tied for second in the league in corner three-point accuracy, making 13 of 26 attempts.
"I'm just out there to be around those guys and make their lives easier," Kuminga said after the game against Houston. "The rest of the jobs, rebounding, playing hard, defending, it's right there, why not do it?"
Finch noted that Kuminga is shooting well because he is getting good looks with his feet set within the flow of the offense. The coach called Kuminga a linchpin for the team's recent success, stating that Minnesota would be lost without him right now.
