The Golden State Warriors overcame a 25-point first-half deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-95 in the NBA Cup group stage opener on Friday night, with Stephen Curry scoring 31 points and hitting eight 3-pointers to lead a 42-point turnaround.
The game was framed by a personal subplot involving Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who had called Lakers superstar Luka Dončić a "flopping crybaby" after their season-opening matchup. Lendeborg struggled mightily, finishing with six points, one rebound, zero assists, five turnovers and a game-low minus-20 in 24 minutes before fouling out.
Dončić, meanwhile, erupted for 21 first-quarter points en route to 37 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal, outscoring the entire Warriors team in the opening period as Los Angeles built a commanding lead.
Curry and bench spark historic comeback
Curry, who passed Dominique Wilkins for 18th on the NBA's all-time scoring list, caught fire in the second half, while the Warriors' bench outscored the Lakers' reserves 50-7. Brandin Podziemski added 21 points, six assists and five rebounds, and De'Anthony Melton and Georges Niang combined for 27 points and seven 3-pointers. Draymond Green took over defensive duties on Dončić and dished out nine assists.
Lendeborg owns up to poor performance
After the game, Lendeborg admitted he "tried not to wet the bed as bad as I did," acknowledging he stayed "a little too calm" and never found a rhythm. He credited his teammates for covering for him: "Them boys had my back today. Steph Curry, again, did his thing. The bench mob showed up today. It was awesome."
Team defense over individual matchups
Coach Steve Kerr reinforced the lesson that team defense matters more than individual assignments. "He did a good job on Luka one-on-one, but we got torched by Luka as a team," Kerr said after the opener. "All those stats that the NBA puts up... who the eff cares? It's like, they scored 127 on us. That stuff's all bulls---. It's our defense."
The Warriors improved to 3-3 after starting the season 0-3, while the Lakers fell to 3-2. The victory marked Golden State's third straight win.
