HOUSTON >> Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, wearing a businesslike tie and button-up, was so insistent that he was prepared for Wednesday night’s Game 2 against the Rockets that he said some variation of “stay ready” over a dozen times when talking to reporters at his locker.

“It’s not something I was expecting,” Kuminga admitted, before adding, “You’ve got to stay ready, because the moment and chances, you don’t get them back, so you always have to stay ready.”

When Jimmy Butler left the game late in the first quarter of the Warriors’ 109-94 loss with a pelvic contusion, Kuminga got a chance to prove that was more than just talk in 26 minutes against an uber-physical Rockets defense in front of a hostile crowd.

Kuminga wanted to make it abundantly clear that he took no joy in watching his teammate sustain the injury that put him back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the past three games.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen, but hopefully he gets back,” Kuminga said.

Kuminga, who scored 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting, grabbed three rebounds and had a block, said he focused on staying positive while out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.

Did Kuminga know why his coach had cut his playing time to zero?

No.

“I try not to think about it,” Kuminga said. “I just try to stay ready, I try not to think about why