Stephen Curry finished with 31 points, six assists and four rebounds as the Golden State Warriors came back from 25 points down to defeat Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers 112-95 on Friday night in San Francisco, according to CBS Sports. The NBA Cup matchup saw the Warriors avenge a season-opening loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles the previous week.
Doncic led all scorers with 37 points, seven rebounds and five assists, but his effort was not enough to give the Lakers a second straight lopsided result against Golden State.
Why it matters
The comeback stands as the largest margin of victory in the shot clock era for a team that trailed by at least 20 points at the end of the first quarter, CBS Sports reports. The previous mark dated to March 4, 1976, when Golden State trailed Chicago 41-18 after one period and went on to win 124-110, a 14-point final margin.
The result also carried weight in the NBA Cup standings and handed the Warriors a measure of payback after their opening-night defeat in Los Angeles.
A first quarter that flipped completely
Los Angeles opened the game in control. Doncic poured in 21 points in the opening period on 7-for-12 shooting, including five 3-pointers, and added five assists and two steals as the Lakers built a 38-15 lead, according to CBS Sports.
Golden State answered with an identical 38-15 second quarter. That made the Warriors the first team in the shot clock era, playoffs included, to trail by 23 or more points at the end of the first quarter and be tied or ahead by halftime, CBS Sports reports.
The Lakers took advantage of 17 Golden State turnovers for 25 points, 10 of which came in the first period, but could not sustain their early advantage.
Curry moves up the scoring list, supporting cast delivers
In the fourth quarter, Curry passed Dominique Wilkins (26,668 points) for 18th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list, per CBS Sports.
Brandin Podziemski added 21 points, six assists and five rebounds for Golden State. De'Anthony Melton contributed 16 points off the bench, and fellow reserve Georges Niang scored 11.
The game grew heated in the second half. Curry hit a 3-pointer over Doncic with 6:22 left in the third quarter, and Doncic answered with a deep shot of his own moments later. Doncic was assessed a technical foul with 21.8 seconds remaining in the third while fans chanted and booed at him, and teammate Matisse Thybulle picked up a technical in the fourth, according to CBS Sports.
The Warriors' next outing will show whether the rally was a turning point or a single hot night. For the Lakers, the question is how Doncic's supporting cast responds after a game in which his 37 points went to waste.
