Warriors erase 25-point hole to top Lakers 112-95

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 112-95 on Friday night in San Francisco, erasing a 25-point deficit to claim an NBA Cup victory. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 31 points, six assists, and four rebounds in the win.

The Lakers had taken a 38-15 lead after the first quarter. Luka Doncic contributed 21 points on 7 of 12 shooting, along with five three-pointers and five assists, during that opening period. The Warriors responded by outscoring the Lakers 38-15 in the second quarter. This sequence made Golden State the first team in the shot clock era, including playoffs, to trail by 23 or more points at the end of the first quarter and be tied or leading at halftime.

The final margin of 17 points stands as the largest comeback from a first-quarter deficit of 20 or more points in the shot clock era. The previous record was set by the Warriors on March 4, 1976, when they trailed the Chicago Bulls 41-18 after one quarter and won by 14. The Lakers had beaten the Warriors in their season opener last week in Los Angeles.

Curry passed Dominique Wilkins during the fourth quarter to move into 18th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Brandin Podziemski added 21 points, six assists, and five rebounds for Golden State. De’Anthony Melton scored 16 points off the bench, and Georges Niang contributed 11 points as a reserve. Doncic finished the game with 37 points, seven rebounds, and five assists for the Lakers.

The Lakers converted 17 Golden State turnovers into 25 points, with 10 of those turnovers occurring in the opening period. Tensions rose late in the third quarter when Doncic received a technical foul with 21.8 seconds remaining. Matisse Thybulle drew a technical foul for the Lakers in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers are scheduled to host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. The Warriors will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.