Sport

NBA: Warriors begin title defence with 14-point win over Lakers

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 35 points as Boston Celtics beat Philadelphia 76ers

Steph Curry of Golden State Warriors. Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Getty
Steph Curry of Golden State Warriors. Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Getty
Wed Oct 19 2022 - 08:00

Golden State Warriors 123 LA Lakers 109

The Golden State Warriors responded to a fourth championship-ring ceremony in the last eight years with a performance they hope will lead to a fifth in nine, riding Stephen Curry’s game-high 33 points to a 123-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in the season opener on Tuesday in San Francisco.

Andrew Wiggins chipped in with 20 points and Klay Thompson had 18 as the Warriors, who opened their championship season a year ago with a road win over the Lakers, gradually pulled away over the final three quarters.

LeBron James went for a team-high 31 points, Anthony Davis finished with 27 and Russell Westbrook tallied 19 for the Lakers, but it wasn't enough to prevent a sixth straight loss on Opening Night.

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Held to 25 points in the first quarter, the Warriors poured in 34, 32 and 32 over the final three periods, shooting 45.5 per cent overall while outscoring the Lakers 48-30 on 3-pointers.

Curry bombed in four treys on 13 attempts and Wiggins nailed another four in six fewer tries, pacing a Golden State attack that saw seven different players nail 3-pointers.

Curry also found time for six rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

Jordan Poole was a fourth Warrior in double figures with 12 points off the bench while also dishing out seven assists.

James, with 14 rebounds, and Westbrook, with 11 boards, completed double-doubles for the Lakers. James missed a triple-double by two assists, notching a game-high eight.

Kendrick Nunn added 13 points off the bench for the Lakers, who missed the 2022 playoffs after finishing the regular season with 20 fewer wins than Golden State.

The Lakers shot just 10-for-40 from 3-point range. James made 3 of 10 attempts from long distance.

After a sluggish start for both teams that could have been the result of the long ring ceremony, the Warriors finally got their offensive game in gear in the second quarter, running out to as much as a 14-point lead.

Curry (16) and Poole (10) combined for 26 points in the half, during which Golden State used 13 assists to help build a 59-52 lead.

Davis had 15 points, James posted 14 and Westbrook nabbed 11 in the half for the Lakers.

Golden State's biggest lead in the game was 27.

Boston Celtics 126 Philadelphia 76ers 117

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 35 points and the Boston Celtics pulled away in the second half to beat the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 126-117 on Tuesday in the first game of the NBA season.

The Celtics made 46 of 82 field-goal attempts (56.1 per cent), including 12 of 35 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc (34.3 per cent).

Boston received 16 points from Malcolm Brogdon, 15 from Grant Williams and 14 points and seven assists from Marcus Smart. Brogdon was playing his first game with the Celtics after being acquired in an off season trade with the Indiana Pacers.

Tatum grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.

James Harden led Philadelphia with 35 points, while Joel Embiid added 26 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Embiid won the NBA scoring title last season by averaging 30.6 points per game. Tyrese Maxey (21) and Tobias Harris (18) also scored in double figures for the 76ers.

Philadelphia hit 50 per cent of its shot attempts from the floor (40 of 80) and 38.2 per cent (13 of 34) from 3-point range.

The game was tied 63-63 at halftime. Harden was 8 of 8 from the free throw line and scored 22 points in the half. Brown tossed in 18 and Tatum had 16 before the break.

Boston outscored Philadelphia 35-25 in the third quarter and led 98-88 entering the final 12 minutes. The 76ers never got closer than six points in the fourth quarter, and the Celtics extended the gap to 16 before Philadelphia scored the final seven points in the last 1:10.

Overall, the Celtics had a 24-2 advantage in fast break points. Boston averaged 11.1 fast break points per game last season.

The game marked the NBA regular-season debut for Boston’s Joe Mazzulla, who was elevated to interim head coach in September after Ime Udoka was suspended for the season. Mazzulla’s only other head coaching job was at NCAA Division II Fairmont State (2017-19).

The Celtics wore “City Edition” alternate uniforms as a tribute to Hall of Fame centre Bill Russell, who died in July at age 88. NBA players are honouring Russell’s legacy by wearing a commemorative patch with Russell’s No. 6 on their jerseys this season.