Kings To Face Tougher Warriors Matchup Than Usual

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By JH Kubicek | Last updated Mar 11, 2025 9:07 PM ET

Facing Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors is never easy, but the Sacramento Kings have managed this season so far, going 2-1 against the Dubs. It's very likely that the Kings and Warriors meet in the postseason, perhaps in the Play-In Tournament, so any chance they have to prepare for a matchup is beneficial.

Both teams will next face off on Thursday, with the Kings making the trek southwest to take on the Warriors at the Chase Center, and the Warriors were given an update on Tuesday that suggests Sacramento will have trouble.

Sine January 4, or just one day before the Kings and Warriors played for the first time, the Dubs have been without forward Jonathan Kuminga, who was in the midst of a career-best season before suffering an ankle injury. He hasn't played since and was recently replaced in the depth chart by Jimmy Butler.

However, the Warriors believe that, as defensive-minded wings, both Butler and Kuminga can share the floor. Apparently, the first test will be against the Kings, as Kuminga is expected to return.

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga – out since Jan. 4 with a sprained ankle – plans to return to the lineup on Thursday against the Sacramento Kings, sources tell ESPN. Kuminga averaged 20.5 points in his last 14 games played, and now reintegrates to a surging team. pic.twitter.com/GvFFkI4OvC
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 11, 2025

This season, Kuminga has averaged 16.8 points, five rebounds, and 2.2 assists while being a high-level defender. He has only started in 10 games and came off the bench in 22 contests before getting injured, but he was a key part of the Warriors' early-season success.

For Sacramento, an already-tough matchup got even tougher, but there is reason to believe that the star-studded cast, led by Zach LaVine's stellar play since being traded, can put up a fight.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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