To launch their 75th anniversary season, the Lakers were invited up to the Bay, where they fell 123-109 to the reigning NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors, on opening night of the 2022-23 season.
This season marks the start of LeBron James’ 20th year in the NBA. He started this 20th lap the same way he has started the last 19— swift and sound. The King continues to be great. LBJ had 31 points on 25 shots and 14 rebounds. His formula tonight was often this: he’d grab the board and urgently make his way down the floor, many times accelerating past three or four Warriors through the lane.
Like LeBron, Russell Westbrook was the only other Laker to record a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Both teams tipped off the night with poor shooting. And the Lakers were down 25-22 at the end of the first quarter, despite outscoring the Warriors 14-2 in the paint.
This paint prominence was due largely in part to Anthony Davis who earned 10 first-quarter points below the rim and 27 points on the night accompanied by 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.
Heading into the second quarter, Lakers Head Coach, Darvin Ham, spoke to the team’s defensive focuses—contain, contest, and control—to which he commented that those focuses “have been great; we only gave up six points in the last 5:40 of the quarter.”
He pointed out that offensively, he was not completely satisfied with the team’s performance, “We really have to be disciplined with our running habits,” Coach Ham said 12 minutes into the game.
The Lakers shooting didn’t improve by much as the game went on. As a team, they shot 40-for-93 from the field.
The Warriors did improve their shooting and found their firepower in the third. They outscored the Lakers 32-19 at the end of the quarter, leading by 20. Stephen Curry had a 12-point third quarter, a 33-point game overall.
In the final quarter, the Purple and Gold hit the floor with some steam. In the first three minutes they put together a 13-2 run. But the game had already slipped too far out of reach. LeBron, AD, and Westbrook’s combined 77 points couldn’t withstand the Warriors, they needed more action offensively.
The Lakers head home to Los Angeles and will prepare for their home opener against the LA Clippers this Thursday.