The Long View · Morning

Curry's 44 Bought Time. The Lakers Test Whether Lendeborg Can Carry Half

Two straight wins have rested on Curry's scoring. Tonight's game against a Lakers team that beat them by 22 nine days ago shows whether Golden State has a second engine.

By the Warriors Nightly Desk · Friday, October 30

Golden State won 119-114 in Minnesota behind 44 from Stephen Curry and is now 2-3, 10th in the West. Tonight the 4-1 Lakers come to Chase Center to open Cup play, while Butler, Porzingis and Moody remain out until December or later.

Warriors Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

What Minneapolis proved, and what it didn't

Curry scored 44 with eight rebounds and six assists, and the Warriors moved up two spots in the standings. Two wins after an 0-3 start lifted them six places in the power rankings, to 20th. The margin was still only five. Curry averages 28.8 a night across 27.3 minutes, and no 38-year-old can be asked to post 44 every other game.

Where the second engine comes from

Lendeborg was cleared of his foot issue on October 28. The rookie scores 22.6 a night with 9.2 rebounds and put up 31 and 12 in Denver. The Athletic framed him this week as the franchise's next centerpiece. The spacing math is simple. Green is distributing 6.8 assists while scoring 3.3, so the floor stays open only if Lendeborg punishes the help defense that Curry pulls toward him.

Why Los Angeles is the right exam

Doncic averages 36.0 and Reaves 24.4, and the Lakers score 122.5 per 100 possessions. Golden State gives up 117.8. Ziaire Williams is day-to-day for LA, and Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero are out. Both teams come in on one day of rest after four games in seven days, so neither side has a fatigue excuse.

Who plays the middle minutes?

Gui Santos is day-to-day with his left knee and expected back tonight. Over his last 10 games he had climbed to 29.6 minutes a night. If he can't play, Kerr's options thin out fast. Bassey's role has already grown by nine minutes a night, Al Horford is 40, and Walker Kessler gives LA 8.2 rebounds. De'Anthony Melton is hitting 40.9 percent from three and Georges Niang 19.0. Kerr's real call tonight is which of those two gets the wing minutes.

When are Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis and Moses Moody expected back?

Porzingis and Moody both have an estimated return of December 1. Butler, who has a right knee injury, is estimated to return January 2, 2027.

How have the Warriors done against the Lakers this fall?

Golden State won two exhibitions against Los Angeles, 124-98 and 101-89. The Lakers won the October 21 meeting 127-105.

By the Warriors Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.