Before returning to Chase Center in San Francisco for the first time in two weeks, the Golden State Warriors had to go through LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers for the final contest of their six-game road swing. In the latest edition of the Warriors' rivalry with the Lakers, featuring Jimmy Butler and Doncic for the first time, did not disappoint.
Following a fast-paced opening quarter, the Warriors jumped out to a four-point advantage and never looked back. Steph Curry tallied a game-high 37 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field with four made 3-pointers. Curry got to the line often against the Lakers on Thursday, draining 13-of-14 free throws. Curry's 14 free throws tied the fourth most free throw attempts of his career. The last time Curry attempted 14 free throws in a game was 2018.
Brandin Podziemski drilled a barrage of triples on Thursday, scoring 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field. The second-year guard made a career-best eight triples against the Lakers.
After missing one game due to a pelvic contusion, Jonathan Kumimga returned to Golden State's lineup in impressive fashion. The fourth-year wing tallied 18 points off the bench on 7-of-12 shooting from the field with nine rebounds, four assists and a block.
The Warriors defense held Doncic to a quiet performance. The new Lakers point guard recorded 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting from the field and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. Thursday marked the first time this season Doncic finished a game without making a 3-pointer and snapped a streak of 114 games with a made triple.
Despite a pair of clutch wins against the Memphis Grizzlies and Lakers, things won't get any easier for the Warriors when they return to the Bay Area on Friday to host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets for the second leg of a back-to-back.
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This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors secure impressive win over Lakers to end road trip, 123-116
