Stephen Curry ignited a stunning second-half surge with 31 points, and the Golden State bench provided 50 points to power the Warriors past the Los Angeles Lakers 112-95 in the NBA Cup opener for both teams on Friday in San Francisco.
Coming off a 44-point performance in a victory at Minnesota, Curry buried eight of his 14 attempts from beyond the arc. His season-high tally of 3-pointers helped Golden State outscore the visitors 66-33 from long distance, while the two-time MVP also added six assists. The victory allowed the Warriors to exact a measure of revenge following a 127-105 season-opening loss to the Lakers on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles.
The contest featured a chaotic first half in which each side thoroughly dominated one quarter by an identical 38-15 margin. The Lakers parlayed that early momentum into a 25-point lead, paced by Luka Doncic, who exploded for 21 points in the opening period alone. Doncic finished with a game-high 37 points, shooting six of his own from 3-point range while adding seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.
Los Angeles still held a 72-63 advantage past the midpoint of the third quarter before Golden State seized total control. The hosts detonated for a decisive 33-8 flurry that began with a 22-8 surge to close the third period. Reserves Brandon Williams, Charles Bassey, and De’Anthony Melton combined for 13 points during that stretch to help pull the Warriors ahead 85-80 heading into the final frame.
Golden State did not relent to start the fourth, rattling off the first 11 points of the quarter to stretch the advantage to 17. Brandin Podziemski opened the period with a 2-pointer and a 3-pointer, while Curry accounted for the remaining six points of the spurt. The Lakers drew no closer than 12 points for the remainder of the contest, hindered significantly by 22 turnovers, including eight giveaways by Austin Reeves.
Podziemski finished with 21 points, including four 3-pointers. Melton contributed 16 points and George Niang added 11 off a bench that ultimately outproduced the Lakers’ reserves 50-7. Draymond Green chipped in nine assists and three steals for the Warriors, who won their third consecutive game after opening the season with three straight losses. Golden State prevailed despite a difficult night from star rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who finished with six points, five turnovers, and six fouls.
For the Lakers, Reeves scored 21 points alongside Doncic, while fellow starters Jake LaRavia, Walker Kessler, and Matisse Thybulle contributed 10 points apiece. Kessler also anchored the glass, collecting a game-high 13 rebounds.
