The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 128-121 on Saturday night. After missing the past three games with an ankle injury, Warriors superstar Steph Curry returned to the lineup for the battle between the ninth and 10th seeds in the Western Conference. With the victory, the Dubs improved to 35-31 on the season and are now tied with the Lakers for the ninth seed.
A lot changes every NBA season, but Curry and LeBron James continue delivering excellent performances whenever they face off. Lakers star big man Anthony Davis was sidelined with an eye injury in the first half, putting even more pressure on James to carry the load. James did the lion’s share of work for Los Angeles finishing with 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists in 37 minutes on 15-for-23 shooting from the field.
Not to be outdone by the older Akron-native, Curry scored a Warriors-high 31 points alongside 6 rebounds and 5 assists. With Klay Thompson scoring 26 points off the bench, and Jonathan Kuminga adding 23 of his own, Curry had the help to come out on top. While Draymond Green only scored 6 points, the Warriors forward caused mayhem all over the floor, recording 12 rebounds and 13 assists.
Curry may have finished with an impressive stat line, but he was held scoreless in the first quarter. The Lakers led for the majority of the first half, heavily aided by Steph’s struggles, but they were unable to build a significant advantage.
Kuminga was aggressive from the jump, knocking down four jump shots in the first few minutes of the game. Thompson and Trayce Jackson-Davis were excellent sparks off the bench as well, helping the Dubs steady the ship while waiting for Curry’s offensive outbursts.
The Warriors quickly took control of the game once Steph heated up, and led for nearly the entire second half. James managed to keep things close in the fourth quarter, pulling within four points in the final few minutes. However, any momentum for either team was destroyed by a comical video review and shot clock malfunction that made the final two minutes of regulation take more than 20 minutes in real time.
The Warriors will return home for their next game, enjoying one day off before hosting the Knicks at the Chase Center. Opening tip off is scheduled for 7:00 PM Pacific.
