The Warriors were dealt a losing hand and fell 123-113 to the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson topped the 20-point plateau and Kevin Durant recorded a double-double, but Golden State’s turnover total proved too high to overcome.
TEAM LEADERS
In a game featuring some of the most talented scorers in the Western Conference, Wednesday’s game lacked not for offense, particularly in the early going. Both Curry and Durant scored in double figures in the opening quarter, while the Lakers’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope paced Los Angeles with 14 points of his own. Andre Iguodala sank a jumper with 5.6 seconds remaining, handing Golden State a slim 34-31 advantage at the end of one.
Last-second conversions would prove to be an ongoing theme throughout the contest, and it was the Lakers’ turn the next time around. After Curry gave Golden State a 57-56 lead on a jumper with 45 seconds remaining in the second quarter, LeBron James scored the final five points of the frame, including a 34-foot three-pointer from near midcourt as the halftime buzzer sounded.
Thompson put the Warriors back in front with five-straight points to begin the second half, and his layup five minutes into the third frame gave Golden State a 76-75 advantage, which would prove to be their final lead of the contest. Los Angeles retook the lead on their next possession, Durant fouled out with 5:07 left in the quarter, and the Dubs trailed for the remainder of the night.
Steve Kerr went to the reserves in the fourth quarter, who trimmed the deficit to as few as four points, but couldn’t manage to climb all the way back. Los Angeles ultimately went on to win by a score of 123-113, thanks in large part to Golden State’s 25 turnovers, which played a significant role in the Lakers’ 38-17 advantage in fast break points.
With the defeat, the Warriors’ preseason record drops to 1-3. They’ll attempt to close out the preseason on a high note when they host the same Lakers in San Jose on Friday night.