NBA: Stephen Curry scores 33 points as Warriors beat Lakers in season opener

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Stephen Curry scored 33 points arsenic the Golden State Warriors began the defence of their NBA rubric with a 123-109 triumph implicit the Los Angeles Lakers.

Eight-time All-Star Curry, 34, led the Warriors' scoring portion Andrew Wiggins scored 20 points.

The Warriors are aiming for a 5th rubric successful the past 9 seasons.

LeBron James, who hopes to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time points scoring record this season, finished with 31 points for the Lakers.

While the Warriors are favourites to clasp the championship, they endured a turbulent off-season with caput manager Steve Kerr describing a caller clash betwixt Draymond Green and Jordan Poole arsenic the "biggest crisis" helium has faced during astir a decennary successful charge.

Four cardinal talking points arsenic caller NBA play begins

However, they ensured off-court issues did not impact the opening crippled of the play arsenic they pulled distant implicit the last 3 quarters to comfortably spot disconnected the Lakers successful San Francisco.

After receiving diamond-encrusted rings successful the pre-game ceremony, the Warriors were held to 25 points successful the archetypal 4th but deed 34, 32 and 32 successful the last 3 periods arsenic they outscored the Lakers 48-30 connected three-pointers.

"The ceremonial was an astonishing celebration, to instrumentality clip to bespeak connected what you accomplished, watching the banner spell up, looking astatine the item tapes and each that," said Curry.

"It's truly hard to crook the leafage and spell and play a crippled of basketball, but we figured however to bash it. Now we tin look guardant to the remainder of the year."

Klay Thompson finished the crippled with 18 points for the champions, Poole notched 12 points and 7 assists disconnected the seat portion Curry besides managed 7 assists, six rebounds and 4 steals.

Despite James' 31-point haul, the Lakers - who missed retired connected the 2022 play-offs aft a disappointing run - opened the play with decision for the sixth twelvemonth successful a row.

James, 37, moves connected to 37,093 points, 1,294 shy of Abdul-Jabbar's grounds that has stood since 1984.

Elsewhere, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each deed 35 points arsenic the Boston Celtics opened the play with a 126-117 triumph implicit the Philadelphia 76ers.

James Harden led Philadelphia with 35 points portion Joel Embiid - who won past season's scoring rubric by averaging 30.6 points per crippled - finished connected 26.