Congo-born Jonathan Kuminga was in impressive form for the Golden State Warriors with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, in their 116-113 defeat to Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Kuminga, a DR Congo international, who grew up in the city of Goma was the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft and he was part of the Warriors’ championship-winning team last campaign.
The match at the American Airlines Arena was the first time both teams faced each other since the Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 in the Western Conference finals series in the 2021-2022 season.
With a triple-double of 41 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists in 39 minutes of action, Slovenia’s Luka Doncic led both teams in scoring, rebounds, and assists while making 14 of his 24 field goal attempts.
The Dallas Mavericks were out of the gate early in the first quarter, racing to a 23-6 lead over the 2022 NBA champions led by two-time MVP Stephen Curry.
The 23-year-old shot nine of 15 from the free-throw line and nailed four of his nine three-point attempts. Tim Hardaway Jr. (22 points), Spencer Dinwiddie (14 points), and youngster Josh Green (13 points) all contributed to the Dallas Mavericks’ win with double-digit points, which helped the team finish the first 20 games of the season with a record of 10 wins and 10 losses in the Western Conference.
Steph Curry, the 2022 NBA Finals MVP, scored a team-high 32 points, which marked his thirteenth game this season with at least 30 points, but it wasn’t enough to help his team win four straight games.
In other games, the New York Knicks secured their biggest win of the season, defeating the Detroit Pistons by 30 points in a 140-110 triumph at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
With his 31-minute performance that included 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, Julius Randle assisted the Knicks in snapping their two-game losing run.
In 20 games this season, the 28-year-old is averaging 20.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
The Los Angeles Clippers made it two wins in a row with their 118-112 win over the Portland Trailblazers at the Moda Center.
In the absence of superstars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell’s season-high 32 points were sufficient for the Los Angeles Clippers, who improved to a 13-9 record.
Without 6-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard, the combined 69 points from Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant were insufficient for the Trailblazers.
