The Golden State Warriors capped off their Opening Night on a winning note by notching up a solid 123-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chase Center.
- Starting Lineups: Golden State Warriors Return With Usual Starters, Lakers Bring In Patrick Beverley
- How Did The First Quarter Go For Both Teams?
- Andrew Wiggins And Jordan Poole Pick Up Where They Left Off
- Lakers 3rd Quarter And 3-Point Shooting Woes Continue
- How Did The Trio Of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, And Russell Westbrook Fare Under A New Coach?
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Stephen Curry, despite his 4 of 13 shooting from three-point range, ended his night with 33 points in the win, while LeBron James (31 points) proved to be the consistent force for the Lakers as he began his chase of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record.
It wasn’t exactly a vintage Warriors display. They were still yet to rectify their turnovers issue, but what they produced on the hardwood was enough to carve out a win. The bench played a vital role, with the likes of Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman getting some good minutes that will only increase over the course of the season.
The Lakers were definitely better than what their preseason outings suggested, but they will now have enough to do before they suit up to take on the Los Angeles Clippers in their next outing. And with the first game in the books for both the powerhouses in the West, we look at the five most important takeaways from the Warriors’ convincing win.
Starting Lineups: Golden State Warriors Return With Usual Starters, Lakers Bring In Patrick Beverley
It wasn’t surprising that the defending champs would go for the starting five that was part of their winning template.
Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry took the court. At the same time, the Lakers had Lonnie Walker IV and Beverley joining Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James.
Minutes for Thompson was already one of the focus points as the Warriors roped in Jordan Poole the former played for over four-and-a-half minutes. Austin Reaves replaced Beverley after he picked up two fouls. It’s too early to say that these will be the concrete lineups going forward, at least for the visitors who will surely tinker with Kendrick Nunn at some stage.
How Did The First Quarter Go For Both Teams?
The first quarter wasn’t without its share of highlights, and that may very well decide how the season goes for both teams. The Lakers’ heavy reliance on Anthony Davis was distinctly seen, and the big man didn’t disappoint as he chalked up 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.
Andrew Wiggins starred with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist as the quarter ended with the Warriors leading 25-22. Preseason games aside, there were still errors on display for both sides.
While the Lakers did restrict the Warriors to 28% shooting, however, the six turnovers and giving their opposition 12 FT’s hurt them.
Soon after the first quarter, coach Darvin Ham emphasized the need for speed as the Lakers looked to crank up the intensity. For the Warriors, it was all about hitting their straps as they looked to quickly get back to basics — something they fixed in the second quarter.
Andrew Wiggins And Jordan Poole Pick Up Where They Left Off
Wiggins and Poole each had 16 points by halftime, and what was impressive was how they were able to replicate their playoff consistency from the previous season.
The duo drilled three from downtown, coupled with a string of baskets by Curry as the Warriors pulled away to 51 even as the Lakers were chasing with 39 on the board. Poole’s ability to create and make shots, while Wiggins’ facilitating, was one of the cornerstones of the Warriors’ success.
Jordan Poole for 3⃣!
Warriors-Lakers is live now on TNT.#KiaTipOff22 x #PhantomCam pic.twitter.com/LahmH8aOlb
— NBA (@NBA) October 19, 2022
The latter’s two-way play also meant that the side capitalized on every shoot-and-miss by the Lakers while also grabbing those points whenever there was an opportunity. His skill sets — pushing the pace and building on the momentum, meant the side was always at an advantage, given their potent offense and sharpshooting. In the end, Wiggins and Poole had 20 and 12 points, respectively.
Lakers 3rd Quarter And 3-Point Shooting Woes Continue
It was a 23-4 Golden State run in the third quarter before it ended 32-19 in their favor. The Lakers’ troubles from last season, where their torrid third cost them key games, were far from over. The erratic shooting, penetrable defense, and turnovers hurt them again as they ended up tailing the Warriors 71-91.
The bench was chipping in with the points for the Warriors, even as the three-point shooting for the Purple and Gold took a beating. While the latter did score a majority of points in the paint, they were 6 for 35 from the deep as the fourth quarter got underway.
Shooting from downtown has seen a dip since the time the Lakers traded off their better shooters in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma, and this season they hoped that Beverley and Matt Ryan would fill that void, it wasn’t meant to be in their first 2022-23 outing.
How Did The Trio Of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, And Russell Westbrook Fare Under A New Coach?
The West’s blockbuster trade of the last season failed to even take the Lakers to the playoffs last year, and while they may have lost on Opening Night for the second consecutive time to the same Golden State outfit, the trio looked a stark contrast from what they were last year.
James ended the night with 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Davis had 26 points and 6 rebounds.
LeBron started season 20 with a near triple-double in the @Lakers' season opener! #KiaTipOff22
👑 31 PTS | 14 REB | 8 AST pic.twitter.com/y4pATijh5T
— NBA (@NBA) October 19, 2022
Westbrook chipped in with a double-double (19 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists). In the closing minutes, Ham employed all three big stars. The emphasis on Davis in the Center and Westbrook’s willingness to share the ball meant that the clogging was minimal this time around.
The Lakers’ loss didn’t necessarily come as a surprise, but they did show spunk in more than just the odd phases. Beverley was still all energy, while Nunn knocked down a bunch of 3s to be one of the perfect role players the side could use more in the games to come.
The team will play the Clippers next on Thursday (October 20), while the Warriors square off against the Denver Nuggets on Friday (October 21).
