Steph Curry ended Opening Night with his signature “night, night” gesture as the Golden State Warriors topped the Los Angeles Lakers 119–109. The matchup marked Luka Dončić’s first season opener with the Lakers, and while he delivered a dazzling debut with 43 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists, the Warriors’ balance and late-game poise proved too much to overcome.
Dončić joined Kobe Bryant and Elgin Baylor as the only players in Lakers history to score 40 or more in a season opener, capping off a remarkable performance that began with him hitting a three-quarter-court shot in warmups. But Golden State’s new duo of Jimmy Butler III and Curry answered every surge. Butler poured in 31 points and four assists, leading a 20–5 run in the third quarter to swing momentum back to the Warriors.
With a minute remaining and the Lakers closing the gap to seven, Curry buried a 35-foot dagger to secure the win in vintage fashion. Draymond Green contributed across the board with 8 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, and two blocks, while Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield each added 17 points.
“Warrior basketball took over,” Curry said after the win. “It brings the best out of you when the lights are the brightest.”