NBA Season Opener: Warriors Defeat Lakers
LOS ANGELES — In the NBA season opener on Tuesday night, Jimmy Butler led the Golden State Warriors with 31 points, while Stephen Curry contributed 23 points. They managed to outscore Luka Doncic, who had an impressive 43-point game, leading the Warriors to a 119-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
This match marked a significant moment as LeBron James missed the season opener for the first time in his 23-year career, seated on the bench due to a sciatica issue. It’s believed he may be unavailable until mid-November.
Jonathan Kuminga stepped up, adding 17 points for the Warriors, who did a commendable job of containing the Lakers—save for Doncic. This marked the 40th time in Doncic’s career that he scored 40 points, and the third since he joined the Lakers. Along with his scoring, he made notable contributions with 12 rebounds and nine assists. However, he struggled with his three-point shooting, hitting only 2 of 10 attempts. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, this game marked their ninth loss in their last ten season openers.
Curry, beginning his 17th NBA season, had a quiet night with just three three-pointers, as the offensive spotlight shifted to Kuminga and Buddy Hield, who made five three-pointers. Butler shone at the free-throw line, going a perfect 16-for-16, and Curry managed to score his first points of the fourth quarter with a three-pointer in the final minute.
Austin Reeves had a strong showing for the Lakers, scoring 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, even while facing foul trouble. The Golden State Warriors kicked off the second half with a 19-4 run, extending their lead to 17 points. Reeves’ efforts brought the Lakers closer, narrowing the score to 105-99, but they couldn’t complete the comeback.
Draymond Green had a quiet night with just eight points and picked up a technical foul early while seated on the bench. He, however, managed to stop a Lakers run with a timely three-pointer with just under four minutes left. Deandre Ayton, in his debut with the Lakers, scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Marcus Smart added nine points. Al Horford, in his first game with the Warriors, made a three-pointer and finished with five points.
