Kuminga Shines in Hawks’ Triumph as Warriors Struggle Deepens

Mo. Basuony

Published: March 21, 2026 10:06 PM ET

Kuminga Shines in Hawks’ Triumph as Warriors Struggle Deepens

Atlanta acquired Jonathan Kuminga from Golden State in a Feb. 5 trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Warriors.

The teams meet at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on March 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).

Kuminga’s immediate impact

Kuminga scored 27 points in his Atlanta debut on Feb. 24. That performance came in a blowout win over the Washington Wizards.

Over his first six games with the Hawks, he averaged 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds. He shot 56 percent from the field during that stretch.

Hot start for Atlanta

The Hawks won each of the six games Kuminga played in that span. Opponents included the Magic, Nets, Mavericks, Trail Blazers and the Wizards twice.

Atlanta also recorded an 11-game winning streak before a 117-95 loss to the Houston Rockets on March 20. Kuminga did not play in that loss with a left knee issue.

Availability and health status

The Hawks cleared Kuminga from their injury report by March 21. He was expected to be available for the Warriors game.

Warriors’ injury cloud and form

Golden State arrived in Atlanta hampered by injuries. The team listed six players out for the game.

Stephen Curry — knee
Seth Curry — adductor strain
Kristaps Porzingis — left lower back tightness
Al Horford — right soleus
Moses Moody — right wrist
Jimmy Butler — torn ACL

Additional players were questionable. These included Draymond Green and others dealing with various lower-body issues.

Golden State had lost 15 of its previous 21 games. Their record stood at 33-37, holding the No. 10 seed in the play-in picture.

Curry update

The Warriors said Stephen Curry was making steady progress. He had intensified on-court workouts and would join live action soon.

The team planned another evaluation after returning home next week.

Standings and stakes for both clubs

The Hawks sat at 38-32 and occupied the No. 7 seed. The Orlando Magic held a half-game edge for the sixth spot.

With 12 regular-season games remaining, both clubs had reasons to push for momentum and health.

Voices around the matchup

Steve Kerr told The Athletic’s Nick Friedell he wanted the best for Kuminga. Kerr suggested Kuminga might have developed faster on a lesser team.

Bay Area radio host Dan Devone voiced frustration over Kuminga’s treatment in Golden State. He said he hoped Kuminga would perform well against his former team.