Warriors game recap: Golden State blitzes short-handed Lakers 124-98

Why "warriors game" is trending

People are searching "warriors game" because Golden State put together a laugher. The Warriors beat the Los Angeles Lakers 124-98 in their preseason home opener at Chase Center on Tuesday night. The Lakers were missing three core players, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler, and Golden State took advantage from the opening tip. It was billed as Nellie Night at Chase Center, a tribute to the late coach, and the Warriors played the part, running and scoring from the start.

This was only the second preseason game of the year for Golden State, and Steve Kerr pulled his starters once the margin got out of hand.

The scoring barrage

Golden State jumped to an 11-2 lead in the first two minutes. At the 6:55 mark of the first quarter, Steph Curry drew a four-point play, his first of two on the night, to push the lead to 27-13. The Warriors scored 45 points in the first quarter alone, then added 36 more in the second, and walked into halftime up 81-53. The score brought back memories of the Run TMC and We Believe Warriors teams of past eras.

Yaxel Lendeborg's night

The rookie forward was the best player on the floor outside the Curry, Draymond Green and Podziemski trio. Lendeborg shot 7-for-11 from the field and finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. In the second quarter he drove through 6-foot-7 Jake LaRavia for a layup, drew a foul, and gave a small hand gesture on his way to the free throw line. "I spam that emote a lot," Lendeborg said after the game. "So, I mean, it just kinda felt right." A week earlier at camp in Hawaii, Lendeborg had passed up almost the same look against Gui Santos in favor of a kick-out pass to Curry. Golden State of Mind reported that Lendeborg looks likely to earn a starting job by opening night, which is two weeks away.

The rest of the box score

Curry needed only 14 minutes to score 16 points, going 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for-6 from three, with five assists and no turnovers. He finished a plus-26. Green took one shot all night, a three he made, and added eight assists with a plus-25 in 15 minutes before Kerr sat him. Podziemski, who has been one of the standouts of camp, went 7-for-11 for 16 points in 19 minutes before he was also pulled at halftime.

The bench could not keep the same pace in the third quarter, scoring just 15 points, but it held the Lakers to 22 in the frame. Curry had already told reporters on Sunday that preseason results don't matter, per Golden State of Mind, a reminder that this result is just a tune-up and nothing more.

Facts per San Francisco Chronicle, Golden State Of Mind. Opinion is the taproom's.