NBA Opening Week: Steph Curry's Sharpness Destroys Luka Doncic's Dominance

Basketball fans, particularly those of the NBA, were treated to a brilliant display by the stars on the opening night of the 2025-2026 competition season. The matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday (22/10/2025 WIB) was marked by Luka Doncic's dominant play, which was disrupted by the sharpness of Steph Curry and his teammates.

The Oklahoma City Thunder proved they deserve to be NBA champions after starting their title defense efforts by defeating the Houston Rockets, who were reinforced by former Thunder icon, Kevin Durant.

Without the support of their biggest star, LeBron James, who is still injured, the Lakers relied on Doncic to face Curry and his teammates. In his first full season as a Lakers player, Doncic performed as expected, dominating the game.

He contributed 43 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. However, veteran guard Steph Curry and friends had a way to ruin Doncic's big night, winning the match with a score of 119-109.

The match demonstrated that the Lakers still have significant gaps in their squad. Why did they lose that game? Two statistical areas indicate the causes, namely three-point shooting and free throws.

The Lakers had 28 free throw attempts but missed 11 of them. In contrast, the Warriors had 29 attempts and missed only three.

To make matters worse, the accuracy of the Lakers' three-point shooting was very poor. Out of 32 attempts from long range, Doncic and his teammates were only able to make eight. Meanwhile, the Warriors, with Curry as the best shooter in NBA history, made 17 three-point shots out of 40 attempts.

The Lakers' defense also remains a challenge for coach JJ Redick. Although he secured center Deandre Ayton, he's not a strong defensive center like Anthony Davis, whom the Lakers traded to the Dallas Mavericks midway through last season for Doncic.

"That's the card we can play," Redick said, acknowledging his squad's limitations after the game.

In conclusion, the Lakers still need more than just the Doncic-LeBron duo. Three additional players, including Ayton, performed below expectations. Ayton, for example, only contributed 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, and 4 turnovers.

In the Warriors' camp, Curry only contributed 23 points and made just three out of nine attempts at three-point shots. Even at the age of 37, these statistics are considered underwhelming for Curry.

However, Curry remains Curry. He continues to be the spearhead of the Warriors' offense, creating chaos and pressure on the opponent's defense due to the threat of his three-point shooting. This was evidenced by his long-range shot in the final minute of the game that secured the Warriors' victory.

The title of top scorer and Most Valuable Player (MVP) is a monumental achievement for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, often referred to as SGA. However, Gilgeous-Alexander is not yet satisfied and wishes to be recognized as one of the best players in the NBA upon retirement.

The journey began with Gilgeous-Alexander's success in delivering the first NBA title for the Thunder, a feat that was not achieved by the trio of Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. On the first night of the title defense effort, Gilgeous-Alexander faced a tough challenge from Durant and his teammates.

The match demonstrated the mental strength of Gilgeous-Alexander, as well as the significant challenge he will face in pursuit of his second NBA title. The Thunder did win the game against the Rockets, but by a narrow score of 125-124, after two overtime periods.

Gilgeous-Alexander displayed a remarkable blend of grit and skill. Facing a Rockets team known for its tough defense, featuring one of the best defensive players in Amen Thompson, Gilgeous-Alexander played patiently and waited for the right moment to make a run. He took over in the second overtime to seal the victory for the Thunder, totaling 35 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

For the Rockets, the narrow defeat to the defending champions proves that they are ready to compete in the highly competitive Western Conference. With the support of senior star players like Durant and rising star Thompson, they could pose a threat to the Thunder.

In another opening game, Victor Wembanyama produced a dominant performance in his first game back from injury, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 125-92 victory over the Mavericks on Thursday (October 23, 2025) WIB. The French center contributed 40 points and 15 rebounds in 30 minutes of action.

Wembanyama had to miss a significant portion of last season due to deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT is very dangerous and can threaten a player's career. Legendary players like Chris Bosh had to end their careers prematurely due to recurring DVT issues.

Not only the Spurs, but the NBA is also very interested in Wembanyama's health because the 224-centimeter player is expected to be one of the faces of the NBA's future, replacing LeBron, Curry, and Durant. If his career is not hampered by health or injury, Wembanyama is expected to become a dominant center like Shaquille O'Neal, but with sharper shooting accuracy. (AP/AFP)