SAN FRANCISCO: Stephen Curry delivered 31 points as the Golden State Warriors overturned a 25-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-95 on Friday night. The Warriors became the first team in the past 30 seasons to win by at least 17 points after falling 25 behind, improving to 3-3 following three losses to open the season.
The early action belonged to Luka Doncic, whose latest meeting with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg had drawn attention before tip-off. Lendeborg had criticized Doncic after their previous matchup and kept discussing him ahead of Friday's game. Doncic offered no public response about the rookie, but produced 21 points and five assists in the opening quarter. He also shushed the crowd after fans chanted against him as Los Angeles built a 38-15 lead.
The Lakers stretched their advantage to 25 with the first basket of the second quarter, then struggled while Doncic rested. Golden State reserves Georges Niang and De'Anthony Melton helped reverse the momentum with second-quarter 3-pointers and finished with a combined 27 points off the bench. Their contribution brought the Warriors back into contention before Curry drove the next stage of the recovery.
Curry supplied eight points and three assists during a late second-quarter push. He made a long 3-pointer and a difficult layup, then created 3-point opportunities for Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford. Golden State outscored Los Angeles 38-15 in the period to draw level at halftime. No team in the shot clock era had previously erased a first-quarter deficit as large as 23 points to reach the break tied or ahead.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the league's pace and 3-point shooting made dramatic shifts possible. He pointed to a Utah game against the Lakers that he had watched while preparing, recalling that Los Angeles had tied the score by halftime after trailing by 19 at the end of the first quarter. His message was that teams must keep playing through those swings.
Curry added eight points in the third quarter and nine in the fourth, bringing his total across the past two games to 75 in his 18th season. Friday's standout moment arrived with 6:27 remaining in the third. With Doncic defending him on the left wing, Curry used a dribble sequence that left the Lakers star stumbling to the floor. Curry briefly paused, looked toward Doncic and made a 3-pointer before celebrating with his hands on his face.
Podziemski contributed 21 points and six assists, while Doncic finished with 37 points and a plus-nine rating. Lendeborg struggled after two early fouls, which he said reduced his aggression. He ended with six points, six fouls and five turnovers, describing the performance as the "worst game of my life."
Golden State next faces the LA Clippers on Sunday night. Curry backed Lendeborg as the rookie navigates uneven performances under public scrutiny. "We have his back through all of that, and knowing that the next game, we're going to need him," Curry said.
