Dub Nation, listen up. The Warriors are coming home tonight, fresh off a brutal 127-105 beatdown in LA where Walker Kessler went absolutely perfect, 12-for-12, in his Lakers debut. Luka dropped 28 in three quarters, just to pour salt in the wound. You’d think Chase Center would be the cure, right? But here’s the kicker: in 17 seasons with Steph Curry running the show, the Warriors are a shocking 8-9 in their first home game of the year. This building has a habit of letting other teams throw their own party.
A History of Inviting Trouble
It’s true, folks, the numbers don’t lie. This team, this dynasty we’ve watched build, has a weird track record when it comes to kicking off the home schedule. Back in 2009, Steph’s very first NBA game, which was also his first home game, saw the Rockets squeak out a 108-107 win despite Steph dropping 14 points, seven assists, and four steals. Oracle didn’t even know what it was watching! Then there was the lockout-delayed season opener in 2011, a Christmas Day game against the Clippers. Chris Paul’s debut for LA totally ruined Mark Jackson’s. We led at halftime, but then the Clips exploded for a 34-point third quarter and buried us. Man, that was tough to swallow.
Grizzlies Again? This Isn’t New
Tonight’s opponent, the Memphis Grizzlies, they know all about ruining our home opener vibe. They were here before, back in 2012! Marc Gasol and Mike Conley combined for a massive 42 points, spoiling the party with a 104-94 victory. And get this: Brandon Rush even hurt his left knee on a first-quarter foul by Zach Randolph in that one. It’s the only time Memphis has visited for a Warriors home opener, and the Warriors are 0-1 in those games. That’s a stat that’s gotta change tonight. And let’s not forget 2016, Kevin Durant’s Oracle debut. It was a 29-point embarrassment against the Spurs, with Kawhi scoring 35. We got outrebounded 54-35! Pundits universally decried the KD addition after that one, which, yeah, they were wrong, but it was still a rough night.
When the Dubs DID Party Hard
Now, it hasn’t all been doom and gloom, of course. We’ve had some absolute bangers. In 2010, Monta Ellis matched his career high with 46 points, Curry added 25 and 11 assists, and Keith Smart got a win in his first game as head coach against the Rockets, 132-128. And who could forget Klay Thompson’s coming-out parties? In 2013, Klay dropped a then career-high 38 points in a franchise-record opening-night rout of the Lakers, with the team shooting 53.5 percent. That was one of the first real signs Klay was going to be a PROBLEM for the league. Then, in 2014, Kerr’s first season, Klay broke his career high *again* with 41 points against the Lakers, while Curry put up 31 points and 10 assists. Kobe scored 19 of his 28 in the third to make it interesting for about 12 minutes, then the Lakers collapsed. That game kicked off the incredible 67-win season! And the very next year, 2015, after the first banner went up in a pregame show with fire and glow sticks, MVP Curry went off for 24 points in the first quarter alone, finishing with 40 on 14-of-26 shooting. Anthony Davis, on the other hand, was a miserable 4-of-20. Luke Walton was on the bench for Kerr, but the team didn’t miss a beat.
So, tonight, it’s the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center, 7:00 PM PT. You know where to find it: NBC Sports Bay Area or 95.7 The Game. After that tough loss in LA, and with a history of letting these home openers get away from us, this isn’t just another game. This is about establishing that home-court dominance from minute one and showing everyone that Chase Center is *our* house. Let’s make sure the Grizzlies don’t even think about throwing a party on our turf again!
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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