Jonathan Kuminga instantly justifies Warriors risky starting lineup on opening night

Given Steve Kerr's previous comments on the awkward fit of Jonathan Kuminga, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, starting the forward trio was undoubtedly a risk for the Golden State Warriors on opening night against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.

Yet the move proved a resounding success, with Kuminga instantly justifying his insertion into the starting lineup with a big performance in the Warriors' 119-109 victory over the Lakers to kickstart their season in positive fashion.

Jonathan Kuminga instantly justified Steve Kerr's starting lineup

Golden State led for the majority of Tuesday's game outside of some Luka Doncic magic late in the first-half. After taking a one-point lead into half-time, the Warriors made their move in the third with a 35-25 period thanks to an impressive two-way display.

Kuminga was central to the run, drilling a trio of triples in the third and going for 13 in the quarter after recording five rebounds and five assists in the first-half. The 23-year-old finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists in nearly 33 minutes, shooting 6-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc while more importantly earning Kerr's trust to close the game.

It was Jimmy Butler who powered the Warrior offense in the first-half, going a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line for 17 points, two rebounds and two assists. The 6x All-Star finished with a team-high 31 points, five rebounds and four assists in his 34 minutes, finishing 16-of-16 from the charity stripe in the 10-point win.

Stephen Curry put an end to the Lakers comeback hopes, drilling a deep contested three in the final minute to put the hosts to bed. The 2x MVP had 23 points, four assists and three steals in 32 minutes, with he and Butler still looking like one of the best one-two punches in the league.

The Lakers, in contrast, were simply Luka Doncic or bust for almost all the game. The Slovenian superstar had 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists on 17-of-27 shooting from the floor, but it wasn't enough for the Lakers who were without the injured LeBron James.

Buddy Hield got hot in the second-half for Golden State with five threes and 17 points, while rookie guard Will Richard impressed in his NBA debut with five points in nearly 14 minutes off the bench. Al Horford had five points and five rebounds in his Warrior debut, playing 20 minutes off the bench in a role that's likely to continue after the strong showing from the starters on Tuesday.

The Warriors will now head back for their home opener against the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center on Thursday -- the first night of a back-to-back with a matchup on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers.