Luka Dončić was set to make an impact in the opening game of the NBA Cup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. For one quarter, it indeed worked out well.
The Lakers initiated the game with a significant 40-15 run, continuing into the second quarter, while the Golden State Warriors appeared once again to be struggling as a team. Dončić seemed particularly determined, tallying 21 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal just in the first quarter.
This might have been influenced by his earlier encounter with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. Nevertheless, the remainder of the game wasn’t favorable for Los Angeles.
By halftime, the match was tied after the Warriors accomplished a remarkable 38-13 run over a span of 11 minutes and 39 seconds. By the end of the third quarter, they had a five-point lead. Roughly four minutes into the final quarter, their lead expanded to 16 points.
The contest ultimately resulted in a 112-95 victory for the Warriors, featuring a standout moment where Stephen Curry brought down Dončić in the third quarter, followed by a 3-pointer that reduced the deficit to six.
To be fair, Dončić answered back with his own 3-pointer, which still fell short of preventing an unfortunate milestone. According to Keerthika Uthayakumar, the 17-point win margin represents the largest ever recorded by a team that was behind by 25 points at any time in the game during the play-by-play era (since 1996).
Curry concluded the matchup with 31 points on 11-of-23 shooting (8-of-14 from beyond the arc), along with 6 assists and 4 rebounds. This scoring achievement elevated him to No. 18 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Dominique Wilkins.
Dončić, for his part, recorded 37 points on 12-of-27 shooting, with 7 rebounds and 5 assists, maintaining a blistering pace as the season kicks off for the Lakers star.
The Warriors now have three consecutive wins following an 0-3 start, marking their worst beginning since Curry was drafted, with their other victories against the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. This triumph, accompanied by the historic margin, provides them a significant boost in NBA Cup competition, where they are grouped with the Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, and Sacramento Kings.
