LOS ANGELES • Despite all the warnings from Golden State coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors did not heed his caution.
"We talked about it because I think this is the third straight year where we've come here and dropped the ball and laid an egg," Warriors point guard Stephen Curry said. "We didn't want to let it happen again, but we did."
Lou Williams and Julius Randle scored 20 points apiece, and the Los Angeles Lakers stunned the Warriors 117-97 on Friday at the Staples Centre.
Randle also had a game-high 14 rebounds as the Lakers (3-3) beat the Warriors for the second time in a row. They had also defeated Golden State on March 6.
"Honestly, we're looking at the big picture, and the big picture isn't beating Golden State and then losing Sunday night at home," said Lakers coach Luke Walton, who captured a win in the inaugural regular-season meeting with the Warriors, the team he served as an assistant the previous two National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons.
"The big picture is we make it really hard on teams that come into Staples Centre and get wins, and so far we've had two home games against two really good teams and won both."
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157
Stephen Curry's record 157-game streak with at least one three-pointer is over.
0/10
The most three-pointers Curry has attempted in his career without scoring.
2014
Curry last failed to make a three in a regular-season game against San Antonio on Nov 11, 2014, missing seven shots.
Los Angeles beat the Houston Rockets at Staples in the season opener. They host the Phoenix Suns tomorrow morning (Singapore time).
D'Angelo Russell contributed 17 points while Larry Nance Jr collected 12 points, including a crowd-pleasing dunk and nine rebounds for the Lakers.
"We played aggressively on both ends tonight and really asserted our will defensively, which is like the biggest key to the game," said Nance, who hit all six of his field-goal attempts.
Kevin Durant scored 27 points, while Draymond Green had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors (4-2), who were coming off a rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.
"It's our annual beat-down at Staples by the Lakers," said Kerr after watching the hosts lead from start to finish. "Let's just give them credit. They came in sky high with a ton of energy."
Curry had 13 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds but saw his NBA-record streak of hitting at least one three-pointer a game end at 157 games.
"I would have loved to have finished my career making one every game," said Curry, who missed all 10 of his shots from beyond the arc and finished five of 17 from the floor. "I'll just start a new one. Kind of weird not to make one, but I will keep shooting."
Klay Thompson was four of 18, including two of 10 from distance, en route to 10 points.
The Warriors' inability to convert three-pointers cost them, making just five of 32 (15.6 per cent) overall.
"Regardless of a game like last night or tonight, we still have some things we need to work on," said Curry.
REUTERS
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