Stephen Curry excelled in the season opener for the Golden State Warriors, contributing 17 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. The Warriors delivered a powerful performance, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers with a score of 139-104 on Wednesday night.
Buddy Hield emerged as a key contributor off the bench for Golden State, scoring 22 points. After missing the playoffs the previous year, the Warriors demonstrated a strong start to the new season.
The Trail Blazers initially held a lead of nine points in the first quarter, but the Warriors quickly gained control, leading 62-50 at halftime. Curry opened the second half with a three-pointer, leading Golden State to establish a commanding lead that reached as much as 37 points at one point.
For Portland, Scoot Henderson led the scoring with 22 points from the bench, but Shaedon Sharpe was absent from the game due to a shoulder injury.
In notable developments, Terry Stotts, who previously served as head coach of the Blazers from 2012 to 2021, is now an assistant coach for the Warriors under Steve Kerr. During the first quarter, he received a tribute from the crowd via the video scoreboard. Kerr acknowledged the positive impact Stotts has had on the team’s organization, stating, “We’re definitely more organized this year than we’ve been in the past. Terry has been a huge part of that. He’s added so much to our staff and given us some different stuff that we’re excited about.”
A pivotal moment occurred late in the first half when Draymond Green became vocal towards the referees after receiving a foul call, resulting in his first technical penalty of the season. Kerr was seen comforting Green, guiding him off the court.
In a significant achievement, Curry, who recently earned a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, recorded seven assists in the first quarter alone, surpassing Clyde Drexler to move into 38th place on the NBA’s all-time career assists list with a total of 6,125.
Looking ahead, the Trail Blazers will continue their three-game homestand on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans, while the Warriors are set to face the Utah Jazz on the same day.