PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Stephen Curry had 17 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds before sitting for the fourth quarter, and the Golden State Warriors opened the season Wednesday night with a 139-104 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Buddy Hield had 22 points off the bench for the Warriors, who missed out on the playoffs last year.
Portland led by as many as nine points in the opening quarter, but the Warriors pulled ahead and led 62-50 at the break. Curry had a 3-pointer to open the second half and Golden State led by as many as 37 points the rest of the way.
Portland was led by Scoot Henderson with 22 points off the bench. Shaedon Sharpe didn't play because of a shoulder injury.
Takeaways
Terry Stotts, head coach of the Blazers from 2012 to 2021, is now an assistant under Steve Kerr with the Warriors. Stotts saluted the crowd in the opening quarter when the Blazers played a tribute to him on the video scoreboard.
‘We’re definitely more organized this year, I think, than we've been in the past. Terry has been a huge part of that," Kerr said. “He's added so much to our staff and given us some different stuff that we're excited about.”
Key moment
Late in the first half Draymond Green, jawed at the refs after being called for a foul and earned his first technical of the season. Kerr put an arm around Green's shoulder and led him off the court.
Key stat
Curry, fresh off winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics this summer, had seven assists in the first quarter alone to move him ahead of Clyde Drexler (6,125) into 38th on the NBA's all-time career list.
Up next
The Trail Blazers continue their three-game homestand on Friday against the Pelicans, while the Warriors visit the Jazz also on Friday. ___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press