Game Report: Team trumps talent as Warriors overrun Lakers in opener

It turns out preseason does matter, and that a team performance can trump individual talent.

After the Los Angeles Lakers were propelled for three quarters by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a more consistent Golden State Warriors ran away with a 121-114 victory in their opening game of the regular season.

The Golden State Warriors entered as underdogs but came out on top in a road season opener against the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers led for almost the entirety of the first three quarters, pushing their lead to double digits on multiple occasions. But every time they threatened to break the game open, the Warriors would respond with a run of their own.

It all started in the opening quarter where, with the Warrior offense struggling, Carmelo Anthony’s first points as a Laker gave them a 28-18 lead. That was immediately answered by Andre Iguodala’s first bucket as a returning Warrior, spurring a 14-6 run to finish the quarter.

That end to the quarter set a theme for the second half. After a Russell Westbrook layup gave the Lakers a seven-point lead early in the third, the Warriors responded with a 7-0 run. Again, the class of Davis and James threatened to take the game away, opening up a 10 point lead with 2:30 left on the clock.

From that point, things changed.

Layups from Stephen Curry, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Nemanja Bjelica cut the margin to five, and after Davis missed two free throws, Curry converted on his when fouled by Rajon Rondo from beyond the arc.

After a quiet first half that yielded just four points, Jordan Poole gave the Dubs the lead with a three to begin the final quarter. From there, The Warriors team-oriented system and ball movement proved too much for a Laker outfit relying too heavily on simple star power.

After some signature ball movement led to a wide-open Andrew Wiggins, his wing three gave the Warriors a 115-103 lead with 2:30 left in the ball game. In that 12 previous minutes of basketball, the Warriors had compiled a 41-19 run to turn a 10 point deficit into what was essentially an unassailable 12 point lead.

A couple of late Laker buckets reduced the margin, but the Warriors were never truly threatened in the closing minutes.

Two Key Stats

1. Contributors all over the floor

The Warriors had six players in double digits scoring-wise, whilst the Lakers had just James and Davis. After a rough first half, it was a near-complete second-half performance offensively. They dropped 68 points in the final two periods, a testament to the team contributions given Curry led the scoring with 21.

2. Finding a different way to win

Much of the preseason discussion centered around the bombardment of three-point attempts the Warriors would produce. But in fairness, the Lakers did a good job of running the Warriors off the three-point arc. After averaging over 53 in preseason, the Dubs attempted just 39, connecting on 14 of them.

With the Lakers making one more three and actually shooting a better percentage from the field, it was the Warriors’ ability to get to the free-throw line that helped them win the game.

They made 25 of their 30 attempts (83.3%) and were no doubt helped by the Lakers poor free-throw shooting (9/19). Given it was an area of concern going into the season, it was pleasing to see them get to the line more than a generally more physical Laker outfit.

Two things we learned

1. No more reliance on Curry

The two-time MVP labeled his own performance ‘trash’ post-game, his 21 points coming on 5-21 from the field and 2-8 from downtown.

The fact the Warriors were able to beat a high-quality team given these circumstances should excite fans to no end. Curry was a +4 in the game, and the decisive run early in the fourth quarter came with him on the bench. A completely stark contrast to the team that struggled so dramatically when he was off the floor last season.

2. Bjelica will play more than we thought

The Serbian was arguably the player of the game on Tuesday night, recording 15 points (6-7, 1-1), 11 rebounds, and four assists in nearly 26 minutes of action. Put simply, the team was better when he was on the floor.

He was part of a bench unit that destroyed the Lakers, the Warriors owning the bench scoring 53-29. More than that, the four Warriors that led the team in +- were Bjelica (+20), Damion Lee (+9), Iguodala (+8), and Toscano-Anderson (+7).

The only slight negative was an apparent ankle issue for Jordan Poole midway through the fourth quarter. The Warriors will hope he’s available as they return home for their first game at Chase Center against the Clippers on Thursday.