The Golden State Warriors absolutely blew the doors off the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, piling up an astonishing 81 first-half points on their way to a dominant preseason win. Look, Steph Curry might have said preseason results do not matter, and yeah, we know that, but when you drop 81 points before halftime against a team, even one missing Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler, you are sending a message. That kind of scoring? It is straight out of the Run TMC or “We Believe” playbook, a real throwback.
Starters Went Nuclear: Curry and Company Unleashed
It was Nellie Night at Chase Center, and the Dubs gave a perfect nod to the late, great coach by just getting out and running, scoring, and scoring some more. The starting five of Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos, and Draymond Green just put on an absolute clinic on offense. These guys rocketed to an 11-2 lead within the first two minutes, barely giving the Lakers a chance to breathe. And then, at the 6:55 mark, Curry dropped his first of two four-point plays, pushing the lead to a ridiculous 27-13. Think about that: 27 points in just over five minutes! Nellie would have been beaming. By the end of the first quarter, the Warriors had poured in 45 points, and they kept rolling, adding 36 more in the second. They headed into the locker room at halftime with a massive 81-53 advantage. Talk about handling business.
Half-Game Heroes and Impressive Rookies
With the game well in hand, coach Steve Kerr wisely pulled Curry and Green at halftime. But man, those guys only needed a partial game to make their mark. Curry finished with more points (16) than minutes played (14), shooting 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for-6 from deep, dishing out five assists without a single turnover, and rocking a game-high +26. Green was a beast on defense, whipping out eight assists, hitting his only shot, a three-pointer, and finishing with a +25 in just 15 minutes. Podziemski, who is already looking like one of the stars of camp, also called it a night at halftime after racking up 16 points in just 19 minutes, shooting 7-for-11 from the field. Even though the bench took over in the second half and did not quite match the starters’ ridiculous scoring pace, only putting up 15 points in the third quarter, they never let the lead slip. Thanks to some strong defense, they held the Lakers to just 22 points in the third. And keep an eye on Yaxel Lendeborg, the rookie, who continues to impress, dropping 17 points and nine rebo while shooting 7-for-11 from the field, just like Podziemski.
This early glimpse shows a team absolutely committed to pushing the pace and lighting up the scoreboard. If this is the kind of offensive firepower we can expect, then fans should be absolutely hyped for what is coming. Bring on the rest of the preseason, let’s see these guys keep building that chemistry.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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