Golden State Warriors Complete Historic Comeback on First Night of 2026 Emirates NBA Cup Group Play
The opening night of the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup Group Play delivered high-stakes drama across the league, highlighted by a historic comeback from Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors engineered a massive turnaround after falling behind by as many as 25 points in the first half.
Luka Dončić set an explosive tone early for the Lakers, exploding for 21 points in a dominant opening quarter to outscore the Warriors by himself as Los Angeles took a 38-15 lead. However, Golden State responded in kind during the second period, matching that exact scoreline to erase the deficit. In the second half, Curry and Brandin Podziemski ignited the offense, completing the largest margin of victory in the shot clock era for a team that trailed by 20 or more points at the end of the first quarter.
Curry finished the night with 31 points and eight three-pointers—passing Dominique Wilkins for 18th on the all-time scoring list along the way—while Dončić tallied 37 points and six triples in the thrilling matchup.
Elsewhere across the league's opening night slate, action tipped off with a marquee rematch between the defending champion New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. In Washington, No. 1 overall draft pick AJ Dybantsa made his home debut for the Wizards against the Charlotte Hornets, connecting with former Wizards top pick John Wall prior to the game. Other standout performances included strong showings from Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, as teams began their quests to hoist the Emirates NBA Cup trophy.
