SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Warriors have been on the wrong end of many close games in recent weeks as they plummeted from a 12-3 start to a .500 record in Saturday’s matinee showdown with former teammate Kevin Durant against the Phoenix Suns .

But led by a great performance from Jonathan Kuminga, who tied his career-high with 34 points, and some timely plays from freshman Dennis Schroder, Golden State managed to escape with a 109-105 victory.

Even though it was just a win, Draymond Green saw no reason why it couldn’t be the start of the Warriors’ season getting back on track.

“When I look at how the season has unfolded, it’s been San Antonio and Brooklyn, those back-to-back games,” Green said, referring to the team’s first two losses of the team’s 12-3 stretch early in the game Saturday evening. “That was the turning point. There’s no reason why this can’t be a turning point.”

“But you have to build on it. It just doesn’t happen. You’re not out of the woods yet. We’re 16 and 15 so we need to get some wins. I think we’re capable of doing that.”

For much of Saturday’s game, it looked like it was going to be another painfully close loss for Golden State, which was coming off a two-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day and put on a spirited performance that ended on However, Friday night ended in a loss to the LA Clippers, with both Green and Stephen Curry sitting out.

With Green and Curry back on the court Saturday, Golden State still trailed for most of the evening, despite Green scoring all 16 points in the first half. Kuminga also had excellent play off the bench, capping his career with 12-for-20 shooting from the floor, 12 trips to the free throw line, nine rebounds and three assists.

But the Warriors took the lead with 1:23 left when Schroder – who has struggled since joining Golden State from Brooklyn two weeks ago – stepped up and drained a 3-pointer after Andrew Wiggins grabbed an offensive rebound off him had own mistake.

That was the first of several important moves by Schröder as the game progressed. He then forced a Durant turnover, fouled on a crucial possession and sank a pair of crucial free throws to preserve Golden State’s victory.

“It definitely felt good to get a 3,” Schroder said with a smile. “It was a tough couple of games, but I’m glad we won the game.”

A key factor in Saturday’s win was a second straight strong game from Kuminga, who scored 34 points in back-to-back games. The seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft has been a hot topic of conversation since the preseason when he didn’t receive an extension until he was recently left out of the starting lineup by coach Steve Kerr.

But Kuminga looked absolutely good in this game, as both his scoring and his defense against Durant down the stretch gave the Warriors a boost.

“It just feels like he’s turning things around and he played so hard last night and tonight,” Kerr said, adding, “That’s exactly what we’re looking for and it’s fun, him to see it.”

“He’s by far one of the most talented guys on the team,” Green said, “and it’s nice to see him play the way he does. We just need him to stay aggressive. When he’s on the pitch, it’s us. I’ll introduce him and it’s up to him to do the rest and he does.

“He is more than capable and he will continue to improve and continue to do more.”

Golden State will look to build some momentum in a six-game homestand, albeit one against the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers, who have won nine of their last 12 games. This also includes games against the playoff contenders Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat.

But the momentum has to start somewhere. And after a string of close losses over the last few weeks, the Warriors were happy to finally take a loss on Saturday night.

“We lost a lot of them,” Kerr said. “We definitely have to regain our self-confidence. I think this will help.”