Warriors erase 23-point hole, beat Lakers 112-95 as Curry and Doncic trade blows

The Golden State Warriors were down 23 to the Los Angeles Lakers after one quarter on Friday night. They won 112-95. The comeback was their third straight win and brought them back to .500 at 3-3, six games into a season that began with three losses.

The game turned in the second quarter. USA TODAY Sports reported that Stephen Curry led a 38-15 run that made it 53-53 at halftime. USA TODAY also noted that no team in the shot-clock era, which goes back to the 1954-55 season, had ever trailed by 23 after the first quarter and then tied the game by halftime. The Warriors did more than tie it. They outscored Los Angeles 59-42 after the break and won by 17, a 40-point swing from where they stood after 12 minutes.

The third quarter was still close, and it produced the play everyone will remember. With 6:21 left in the period and the Lakers back in front, Curry took Luka Doncic on one-on-one. A string of dribble moves sent Doncic to the floor, and Curry hit the 3-pointer to cut into the lead. Doncic answered on the next trip with a basket of his own that quieted the home crowd for a moment. After that, the night belonged to Golden State.

The result also settles a score. The season opened with a 127-105 loss at the Lakers, followed by home and road defeats to Memphis (111-108) and Phoenix (131-122). Since then the Warriors have won 134-114 in Denver, 119-114 in Minnesota and now handled the Lakers at home. Two of the three wins came on the road against Western Conference playoff teams, and the third was a comeback no team in the shot-clock era had matched.

What it means for Sunday against the Clippers

The Warriors are home again on Sunday, November 1, against the LA Clippers, on NBA League Pass and ClipperVision. They will try to win a fourth straight and move above .500 for the first time this season.

The numbers since the 0-3 start are encouraging. In the three-game streak Golden State has scored 365 points and allowed 323, an average margin of about 14 points per game. The three losses were by a combined 34, and 22 of those came in the opener. The defense showed the biggest change Friday. A Lakers team that scored 127 against the Warriors last week was held to 95, and only 57 of those came after the first quarter.

The warning sign is the start. Falling behind by 23 in a quarter left no room for error, and against the Clippers it would mean spending another night chasing. If Golden State plays the last three quarters the way it did Friday from the start of the game, Sunday's game should look less like a rescue job.

Follow the season on our Golden State Warriors team page.