SAN FRANCISCO – Brandin Podziemski’s corner three finally gave Golden State a lead it could defend. After spending nearly three quarters chasing the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors turned their comeback over to Stephen Curry and a bench that had already changed the game. A 25-point deficit became a 112-95 victory Friday night at Chase Center, with Curry scoring 31 points in Golden State’s NBA Cup opener.
The final margin obscured how close the Warriors had come to losing control before halftime. Los Angeles led 38-15 after the first quarter, with Luka Doncic alone outscoring Golden State. By the break, the game was tied at 53. By the finish, the Warriors had won their third straight and reached 3-3, while the Lakers slipped to 4-2.
The explanation went well beyond the star matchup. Curry made eight three-pointers and Podziemski scored a season-high 21 points, but Golden State’s reserves supplied 50 points against seven from the Lakers’ bench. That 43-point advantage gave the Warriors enough scoring to survive their opening mistakes and keep attacking after the starters returned.
According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s game analysis, De’Anthony Melton scored 13 of his 16 points during the second quarter, including a personal 7-0 run. Golden State’s bench had outscored the Lakers’ reserves 30-3 by halftime. Georges Niang finished with 11 points, while Will Richard’s defense and energy helped sustain the recovery.
That support mattered because the Warriors had created much of their own trouble. Ten of their 17 turnovers came in the opening quarter. The Lakers converted Golden State’s mistakes into 25 points across the game, an advantage that should have made the visitors harder to catch. Instead, their early cushion disappeared before either team reached the locker room.
Doncic had been overwhelming at the start. He scored 21 points in the first quarter, making seven of 12 shots and five three-pointers while adding five assists. Golden State tried different defenders without finding an immediate answer. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, whose matchup with Doncic had attracted attention before tipoff, struggled with fouls and turnovers.
The Warriors’ response was not to shut Doncic down completely. He still finished with a game-high 37 points, seven rebounds and five assists. It was to stop allowing his production to dictate every part of the contest. He scored only three points in the second quarter as Golden State matched the Lakers’ opening 38-15 period with one of its own.
The halftime tie reset the score, not the challenge. Los Angeles remained in front during the third quarter, and Curry’s most replayed moment arrived while Golden State was still chasing. He sent Doncic to the floor with a dribble move and made a three-pointer at the 6:22 mark. Doncic answered from deep at the other end.
Podziemski’s contribution was less theatrical but just as necessary. His corner three in the final minute of the third gave the Warriors their first lead since 2-0. He finished with six assists and five rebounds alongside his 21 points, providing another ballhandler and scorer when Curry needed help turning the recovery into a lead.
NBC Sports Bay Area also credited Podziemski with drawing three charges in a stretch of five Lakers possessions. Those plays helped disrupt Los Angeles without requiring Golden State to win another shooting contest. The Warriors led 85-80 after three quarters, then outscored the Lakers 27-15 in the fourth to remove the suspense.
Curry finished with six assists and four rebounds. In the fourth quarter, he also passed Dominique Wilkins for 18th place on the NBA’s career scoring list, according to the Associated Press game report carried by ESPN. His scoring milestone came on a night when the Warriors needed contributions far beyond their leading scorer.
Lendeborg’s difficulties made that depth especially important. The rookie fouled out with six points, one rebound and five turnovers. Golden State still found enough offense through Melton, Niang and Podziemski to avoid making his off-night decisive. The result offered a practical answer to what happens when one of the team’s emerging scorers cannot get going.
For the Lakers, Doncic’s final numbers could not cover the drop-off around him. Their seven bench points left little margin once Golden State began making shots and protecting possessions more effectively. Los Angeles scored just 42 points after halftime, compared with the Warriors’ 59, and managed only 15 in the final period.
The teams had already met in their season opener, when Los Angeles won comfortably at home. Friday’s reversal left their season series level at one win apiece and gave Golden State a winning start in NBA Cup group play. The Warriors’ third consecutive victory also brought them back to an even record after an uneven opening stretch.
Both teams return to action at home Sunday, with the Lakers hosting Toronto and the Warriors facing the Clippers. Golden State heads into that game with more than another Curry scoring performance to build on: its reserves carried the comeback long enough for the closing lineup to finish it.
