Down 25 to the Lakers, the Warriors Found Their Answer on the Bench
Golden State came back from 25 down because its second unit spread the floor, and the homestand ahead will show whether that is a rotation or a one-night rescue.
The Warriors trailed the Lakers 40-15, were tied 53-53 at halftime and won 112-95 behind Stephen Curry's 31 points. De'Anthony Melton and Georges Niang made the comeback possible with their shooting, and Golden State will need more of it until its injured players return.
Where did the 25 come from?
The Lakers opened on a 14-0 run, and Steve Kerr called timeout at 12-2 before the game was three minutes old. A 12-0 burst later pushed it to 34-14, and Los Angeles led 38-15 after one and 40-15 early in the second. Luka Doncic did the damage from outside, with 24 by halftime on 5-of-12 from three. Golden State was getting neither stops nor clean looks.
Who turned it?
The bench did it with spacing. Melton scored 13 in 12 first-half minutes on 3-of-4 from deep, and Niang went 3-for-3 from three in eight. A 13-0 run in under two minutes cut it to 40-28 and forced a JJ Redick timeout. A 10-0 run later turned 51-37 into 51-47. The Warriors won the quarter 38-15, and at the break the bench had 25 points to the starters' 23. This is Kerr's offense at its oldest: five shooters, and a defense that has to pick one to leave open.
The grades
Curry, A: 14 at the half on 5-of-9, plus-16 over 16 minutes, and 31 points with six assists by the final. Melton, A-minus: his threes cut the deficit before Curry had to carry it. Yaxel Lendeborg, D: five turnovers and a minus-22 in 12 first-half minutes, the worst on the team, though he was on the floor with Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford when the half ended. Green finished the half plus-13, and Austin Reaves's six turnovers helped as much as anything Golden State ran. The Warriors took the second half 59-42.
What does it change?
Golden State came in 2-3, tenth in the conference and a game and a half behind sixth-place Dallas at 4-2. The next five games are all at Chase Center, starting with the Clippers on Sunday and the Suns on Monday, a back-to-back that follows four games in seven days. Jimmy Butler III's estimated return is January 2, and Kristaps Porzingis and Moses Moody are estimated for December 1. Until then, the second unit's shooting decides most nights. On Friday it erased 25 points in one quarter. This week will show whether Golden State can count on that.
How did the Warriors come back from 25 down against the Lakers?
They won the second quarter 38-15, with 13-0 and 10-0 runs driven by bench shooting from De'Anthony Melton and Georges Niang, and were tied 53-53 at halftime. They then won the second half 59-42 for a 112-95 win.
Who led the Warriors in scoring against the Lakers on October 30?
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 31 points and six assists. Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 37 points.
