SAN FRANCISCO — The game couldn’t have started better for the Lakers, who were fueled by a signature Luka Doncic scoring early scoring flurry Friday night in Chase Center.
But once those flurries evaporated, so did the Lakers’ momentum, making the final result even more painful for them after the Warriors flipped the script.
The Warriors came back from down 25 points to beat the Lakers 112-95 to kick off NBA Cup group play on Friday night.
Warriors star Steph Curry led his team in their 42-point turnaround, recording 31 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Brandin Podziemski had 21 points and six assists.
De’Anthony Melton (16 points, five rebounds) was crucial in getting the Warriors’ offense going after the team’s 15-point first quarter.
He scored seven straight points early in the second to cut the Lakers’ lead to 18, and the Warriors didn’t look back from there.
Melton (13 points) and Curry (eight) combined for 21 second-quarter points, outscoring the Lakers (15) by themselves in the quarter, which the Warriors won 38-15 to tie the game at 53 apiece going into halftime.
The Lakers looked like they regained momentum coming out of the break, but it was short-lived.
The Warriors outscored the Lakers 59-42 in the second half, with the Lakers struggling offensively whenever Doncic wasn’t on the court.
The Lakers scored 15 points in the second and fourth quarters.
Doncic led the Lakers with a game-best 37 points, to go with seven rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots, after his 21-point first quarter.
The Lakers led 38-15 after the opening quarter, and were up 40-15 early in the second.
Austin Reaves added 21 points and five assists, but also had five turnovers.
And the Lakers’ bench struggled to produce, which was costly during a game the Warriors’ bench was on fire.
The Warriors’ reserves outscored the Lakers’ by 43 (50-7).
