Stephen Curry scored 31 points and Brandin Podziemski added 21 on Friday night as the Golden State Warriors overcame a 25-point first-half deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-95 in an NBA Cup group play opener at Chase Center.
The Warriors turned an ugly start into historic territory in the shot-clock era, becoming the first team since 1954–55 to trail by 23 or more points at the end of the first quarter and fight back to tie or take the lead by halftime. Los Angeles seized control immediately behind a blistering performance from Luka Dončić, who poured in 21 points in the opening frame alone. Dončić finished with a game-high 37 points, but Golden State dismantled that advantage with an aggressive second-quarter response.
Luka Dončić’s First-Quarter Flurry and the 25-Point Deficit
The anticipated matchup between Dončić and Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg electrified the pregame atmosphere, following public comments Lendeborg made after their previous meeting. Dončić answered with an aggressive display that silenced the arena. He shot 7-of-12 from the floor in the first quarter, draining five contested 3-pointers and pointing directly at the Warriors bench after baskets.
LUKA JUST WENT OFF IN Q1 😲21 PTS (7-12 FGM)5 3PM pic.twitter.com/LaxTtIVlVB
— https://x.com/NBA/status/2116362013257421123
He’s insane,
Lakers coach JJ Redick said when asked about Dončić responding to physical play. He’s involved in everything in every game so it doesn’t like… I don’t think that’s like an anomaly.
Golden State committed 10 turnovers in the opening 12 minutes, giving up 17 points off those mistakes while managing only 15 points themselves. The Lakers held a commanding 38-15 lead at the break, expanding that cushion to 25 points early in the second period before the momentum violently swung.
STEPH CURRY, ARE YOU SERIOUS??? 😱 pic.twitter.com/0XSBhsnHpy
— https://x.com/NBA/status/2116379527416799363
Reserves Erase Deficit During Second Quarter Turnaround
With Dončić resting on the bench, the Warriors reserves completely altered the game’s trajectory. Georges Niang and De’Anthony Melton sparked a rapid turnaround, combining for 27 bench points as the Golden State bench outscored the Lakers reserves 50-7.
Niang shot 4-of-5 from the field with three 3-pointers in 19 minutes, finishing at a plus-21. Melton contributed 16 points and five rebounds, while Podziemski added 10 points and drew three offensive fouls during the decisive stretch. The Warriors erased a nine-point deficit and turned it into a 17-point swing, closing the second quarter on a 16-2 run to send the teams into the locker room deadlocked at 53-53.
STEPH CRAZY HANDLES AGAIN.8 THREES.31 POINTS. https://t.co/WHFTPNsq0P pic.twitter.com/ktSa7t48Sg
— https://x.com/NBA/status/2116388474827993296
I thought our bench was really awesome tonight. This was about the bench. Georges and Melt, Brandon (Williams), Charles Bassey. I mean, all of these guys came off the bench and gave us huge energy and helped get us back in the game.
Steve Kerr, Warriors coach
Stephen Curry’s Third-Quarter Crossover and Scoring Milestone
The second half belonged entirely to Stephen Curry. With 6:22 remaining in the third quarter, Curry isolated against Dončić, executed a series of dribble moves that sent the Lakers star crashing to the floor, and stepped back to drain a 24-foot 3-pointer.
I was just trying to get a little bit of space,
Curry said after the game. I didn’t expect it to get that nasty… I haven’t been that open in a long time.
Curry finished with 31 points, shooting 11-of-23 from the field and 8-of-14 from beyond the arc, adding six assists and four rebounds. That scoring performance pushed him past Dominique Wilkins into 18th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring leaderboard with 26,688 career points.
Lakers Unravel Late as Warriors Secure Victory
The Lakers completely unraveled down the stretch, committing 22 turnovers overall and going more than four minutes without scoring to open the fourth quarter. Walker Kessler finally broke the drought with a free throw at the 7:54 mark, but Los Angeles managed only 15 points in the final period.
Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr was asked following practice today where his team’s rim protection will come from this year, unsolicitedly citing Brandin Podziemski taking charges as an example of how the team will protect the basket. 😒 pic.twitter.com/85UEsJ5sWw
— https://x.com/SurfJournalist/status/2110885852666794304
Frustration boiled over late in the third quarter when Dončić received a technical foul following an offensive foul called on Jake LaRavia. The Warriors capitalized on the stoppage, extending an 18-0 run into the fourth quarter to build a 96-80 lead and secure the 17-point victory.
The win improves Golden State to 3-3 overall and 1-0 in West Group C of the NBA Cup, providing a crucial point-differential tiebreaker advantage over the Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, and Sacramento Kings. The Warriors return to action on Sunday night to host the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Lakers host the Toronto Raptors.
JJ threw his back out calling that challenge timeout 😭 pic.twitter.com/q419XoUBIs
— https://x.com/Paradox_EP/status/2116362657733206496
More on NBA Cup
With this three Steph Curry has surpassed Dominique Wilkins for 18th on the all-time scoring list 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RoletebRiQ
— https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/2116387032922738787
STEPH CURRY DROPS LUKA DONCIC OH MY GOODNESS. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/NazYwy8J78
— https://x.com/TheHoopCentral/status/2116379802655740322
Steph on dropping Luka: “I was just trying to get a little bit of space. I didn't expect it to get that nasty… I haven't been that open in a long time.” (@NBAonPrime)
— https://x.com/LegionHoops/status/2116399085402128400
Tonight's Warriors win marks the largest margin of victory (17) by any NBA team after trailing by 25+ since 1997-98, when play-by-play was officially recorded. pic.twitter.com/U0vZG6PzAX
— https://x.com/warriors/status/2116406293967872029
Steph Curry (31 PTS, 6 AST, 8 3PM) celebrates with his wife Ayesha after leading the Warriors to their first win in @emirates NBA Cup Group Play 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/NfRHMo311n
— https://x.com/NBA/status/2116400779775168965
STEPH CURRY IS AN ABSOLUTE SHOWMAN 🚨31 points. 8 threes. 1 unbelievable stepback. Warriors come back from 25 POINTS DOWN to win a thrilling West Group C opener! pic.twitter.com/xGYAoIqqEU
— https://x.com/NBA/status/2116398976245362716
