Warriors Outlast Lakers to Win 119-109 on NBA Opening Night
Well, whenever these two NBA rivals get together, you can expect to see some fireworks, and both the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers did not disappoint on NBA opening night. The Warriors were able to fend off the Lakers’ fourth-quarter comeback to move to 1-0 on the young NBA season, as both Jimmy Butler and Luka Doncic shone bright for their respective teams.
Butler shows his scoring chops in the Warriors’ win
After acquiring six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler in a mid-season trade with the Miami Heat last year, the Warriors continue to reap the rewards of that move. The former Marquette Golden Eagle had himself the opening night for Golden State, as Butler shouldered the scoring load by dropping 31 points to lead the Warriors to victory. Butler also added five rebounds and four assists on the night as well, showing off his all-around ability to boot.
Luka Doncic has a monster night in the Lakers’ loss
Speaking of mid-season trade acquisitions, Lakers superstar Luka Doncic had a sensational night despite the loss. The five-time All-NBA first team member dropped 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, in a performance fans have come to expect from Doncic. Lakers guard Austin Reaves also helped out in the scoring department, as Reaves finished the night with 26 points with 13 of those points coming in fourth in the loss. This performance by both Doncic and Reaves to go along with the result may however be a preview of what the Lakers will look like to start the season, as the team awaits the return of LeBron James in mid-November.
Draymond and the Warriors’ other happy helpers
It was a vintage night of sorts for Draymond Green who showcased both his impressive passing abilities as well as his unique way to impact the game verbally. The former defensive player of the year finished the night with eight points, seven rebounds and nine assists, to go along with a technical foul to help round out and give everyone watching the full Draymond Green experience that NBA fans are very much accustomed to. The Warriors also received some help from the second edition of the splash brothers, as both Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield added in 23 points and 17 points respectively to help boost the Warriors across the finish line.
Early takeaways from both teams
Although it may seem a bit early to make any snap judgements of either team, it was rather a bit of the same story for both the Warriors and Lakers this game. The Warriors continue to prove that the mid-season trade for Jimmy Butler was the right move, and as such as catapulted them from play-in territory to legitimate championship hopes. Whereas for the Lakers it was yet another tale of having all the stars show up to play and still coming up short due to being thoroughly outcoached and having the role players be thoroughly outplayed as well. While the Lakers have the whole season to figure things out, tonight’s performance under the bright lights doesn’t exactly instill any confidence that this season will be different from years past.
