Stephen Curry set the stage for a thrilling night at Chase Center, and he closed it out in just as impressive fashion as the Warriors picked up a 115-113 win over the Clippers in their home opener on Thursday.
The two-time MVP, who was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team earlier in the day, was perfect from the floor during a 25-point first quarter, and he closed it out with two go-ahead 3-pointers in the final two minutes of the quarter to lift the Dubs to their second straight win to open the season.
Curry finished the game with 45 points, shooting 16-for-25 from the floor and 8-for-13 on 3-pointers. Andrew Wiggins tallied 17 points and Damion Lee knocked down two big 3-pointers of his own in the fourth quarter to finish with 11 points.
TEAM LEADERS
HOT START
Andrew Wiggins made three 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the game, and then Stephen Curry took the torch and ran with it. Curry was perfect in the opening frame, shooting 9-for-9 from the floor and 5-for-5 on 3-pointers in the period. His 25-point quarter matched the most he’s ever scored in the opening period, marking his 35th 20-point quarter of his career. Curry would make his first shot attempt in the second quarter, and didn’t miss until 4:54 left in the second period.
CLIPPERS FIGHT BACK
Curry’s hot shooting helped lift the Warriors to a 18-point advantage, but the Clippers wouldn’t go away. They closed the first half on a 21-3 run, taking advantage of Warriors turnovers and holding the Dubs to without a field goal for the final four minutes of the second quarter. Los Angeles won the quarter 40-22 and went into halftime up 67-66.
DAMION LEE CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH SPLASH
A back-and-forth second half saw the Clippers lead by as many as eight points, but the Warriors made a run early in the fourth quarter. With Curry sitting on the bench to start the period as he normally does, the Warriors surged ahead with 12 straight points over a six-minute stretch that was capped with consecutive 3-pointers from Damion Lee, who celebrated his 29th birthday with eight of his 11 points during that run.
CURRY THE CLOSER
The Clippers were able to contain Curry after his blistering start, but that all changed down the stretch. With the Warriors not making a basket in over two minutes and the game in danger of getting away from them, Curry knocked down a 31-foot 3-pointer to give the Warriors the lead with 1:54 left in the game. After an Eric Bledsoe basket put the Clippers back in front on the ensuing possession, Curry answered with another 3-pointer, this time giving the Dubs the lead for good.
WARRIORS ORIGINS
The Warriors Home Opener, presented by Chase, marked the first time the Dubs’ sported their new Warriors Origins uniforms. The blue jersey with red letters and yellow trim is a modern-era spin on the team’s 1961-62 road uniform, the 16th and final season that the team played in Philadelphia prior to the team’s move to the West Coast the following season. Wilt Chamberlain scored an NBA-record 100 points during that last Warriors season in Philadelphia, and for a short period of time on Thursday night at Chase Center, Curry was on pace to match that mark.
The Warriors Origins jerseys, presented by Rakuten are available for pre-order at shop.warriors.com.