Curry Scores 33 Points, Dubs Defeat Lakers by Double-Digits on Opening Night

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 123-109 on Opening Night at Chase Center on Tuesday as the defending champions celebrated Champions Ring Night, presented by Chase Freedom, with a pregame ceremony.

Stephen Curry scored a team-high 33 points in the victory, while Klay Thompson added 18 points in 20 minutes of action. After taking a 4-2 lead early in the first quarter, the Warriors never lost the lead over the course of the game, leading by as many as 27 points.

For the second consecutive season, the Warriors and Lakers met on Opening Night, with the Warriors coming out on top. Last season, the Warriors opened the 2021-22 season with a 121-114 win over the Lakers at the Staples Center as Curry recorded his eighth career triple-double with a team-high 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Again, it was Curry leading the Dubs on Tuesday, scoring 33 points in 33 minutes on Champions Ring Night.

Both teams got off to a slow start after the pregame festivities, shooting a combined 15-of-48 (31.3%) from the field and  4-of-21 (19.0%) from 3-point range in the first quarter. But the Dubs offense found its rhythm, finishing the night with 16 makes from downtown in the win.

Playing in his first season opener since Ring Night on Oct. 16, 2018, Thompson scored the first points of the 2022-23 season for the Dubs after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. Thompson, who only played one preseason game, was limited to 20 minutes in the win, recorded 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Thompson also scored the first seven points for the Dubs to open up the third quarter to extend the lead to eight points.

Jordan Poole, fresh off a contract extension, was the first man off the bench for the Warriors on Tuesday and made an instant impact on the game. Poole scored six points in his first 97 seconds on the court, connecting on two 3-pointers, increasing the Dubs lead to nine points before a Lakers timeout. Poole finished the night with 12 points and team-high-tying seven assists.

Tuesday night officially marked Stephen Curry’s 14th season with the Warriors, breaking a tie with Chris Mullin for the most seasons played for the Warriors franchise. Curry, Al Attles and Paul Arizin are the only Warriors that played every game of their NBA career with the Warriors franchise. Among active players, Curry trails only Miami's Udonis Haslem (entering 20th season) as the player with the longest tenure with only one team.

Curry made four 3-pointers in the game, extending his streak of making at least one 3-pointer to 190 consecutive regular season games, the longest streak in NBA history.

Twelve Warriors got on the court on Tuesday night, including 10 players in the first quarter. Newcomers Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green combined for 16 points in the win. Green recorded eight points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. The Warriors bench outscored that of the Lakers 41-20.

“You have 11 guys that probably deserve the opportunity to play, and are going to be key for us to be the team that we want to be throughout the regular season, and then identify what the best rotation is come playoff time," Stephen Curry said postgame. "The ’14-15 team was a little older through the bench, so a little bit more experienced and guys playing different roles, but that’s where ‘Strength In Numbers’ was born and the ability to, especially early in the year, confidently put out ten guys and expect them to contribute, expect them to learn and grow in their roles. That definitely has a similar vibe, for sure.”

James Wiseman returned to NBA regular season action for the first time since April 10, 2021. The third-year center contributed eight points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes, making 4-of-6 field goals.

Prior to the game, the Warriors celebrated their 2022 NBA Championship with a special pregame ceremony during which the Warriors received their 2022 NBA Championship rings and unveiled their Championship banner – their first in the young Chase Center era. It was the fourth ring ceremony for the quartet of Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. Meanwhile, it was third ceremony for Kevon Looney, and the first for Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman. Former Warrior and current Laker, as well as Oakland native, Juan Toscano-Anderson also received his ring on Tuesday night.

The Warriors tip-off against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at. 7 p.m. (NBCSBA, ESPN) as the Dubs celebrate LGBTQ+ Night. A rematch of the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the game will be the first of three regular season matchups between the two teams. Tickets for the game are still available.

More Notables ...