The Warriors lost to the Lakers 124-121 on Friday, falling to 2-1 on the preseason, after they had an intense week dealing with Draymond Green’s training drama.
Green remains away from the team as part of the punishment for last week’s event. Klay Thompson was also out as he resumes working to overcome some mental hurdles.
Both teams started strong offensively, as should be expected against preseason power defense. The Lakers led 35-33 in the first quarter, with Anthony Davis dominating, particularly against players who have virtually zero chance of cracking the Warriors’ regular-season roster.
The Lakers built a double-digit lead with Curry on the bench to start the second quarter (welcome back to an NBA season) and went into the half with a 60-52 lead.
Golden State’s starters answered with a 21-9 run in their final extended playing time in the third quarter, retaking the lead before Curry, Wiggins, and Looney were removed from the game for good.
Curry scored 24 points on 9-for-18 shooting from the field with 4 rebounds and 4 assists in just under 25 minutes of action. Wiggins racked up five fouls in his 23 minutes but scored 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field. Looney had 7 points and 6 assists.
Jordan Poole took over and finished the game with a team-high 25 points (18 of which came in the third quarter) adding 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block without committing a turnover across 23 minutes. He also had the highlight of the game.
The Warriors third string kept it close late, but a pair of costly turnovers by Ty Jerome alongside an explosive quarter from Lakers wing Matt Ryan, who scored 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting from three, were too much for the Dubs to overcome.
Golden State Warriors would return to action on Tuesday, hosting the Portland Trail Blazers on October 11th with opening tip scheduled for 7:00 PM Pacific
