Stephen Curry dropped Luka Doncic to the floor with a dribble move and buried a 3 over him Friday night, Oct. 30. It was the signature moment of the Golden State Warriors’ 112 to 95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center. Curry scored 31 points as Golden State erased a 25 point deficit, becoming the first team in 30 seasons to trail by that much and still win by at least 17.
The ankle breaker was not really about Luka, though. It was about a rookie, a week of trash talk and a draft night confession that makes the whole night hit harder.
What happened between Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic?
With 6:27 left in the third quarter, the Warriors used a screen to get Doncic switched onto Curry on the left wing. Curry hit him with a dribble combination, Doncic’s feet tangled and he went down. Curry paused, looked at him, drained the 3 and grabbed his face in mock shock. Afterward, he said he had James Harden’s famous 2018 moment over Wesley Johnson in mind, a reminder that the embarrassment only counts if the shot falls. A few possessions later, he froze Doncic with a behind the back dribble and hit another 3 from the corner.
Screw it.
Steph breaks Luka’s ankles.
Father Stretch My Hands https://t.co/rXvPXg8WGL
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) October 31, 2026
Why was Luka Doncic so fired up?
Blame the rookie. In the season opener on Oct. 21, the Lakers beat Golden State 127 to 105, and Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg spent the night jawing at Doncic. Afterward, Lendeborg said he had lost all respect for the Lakers star because of what he called constant complaining to the refs. Days later, he admitted he went overboard in the media. He also said he was not afraid of anybody, pointing out that Doncic is not Michael Jordan.
Doncic answered Friday with 21 points and five assists in the first quarter alone. He put Los Angeles up 38 to 15 and shushed fans who were chanting insults at him. He finished with 37 points.
How did the Warriors come back from 25 down?
The bench lit the fuse. Georges Niang and De’Anthony Melton hit a string of second quarter 3s, and Stephen Curry closed the half with a personal burst. Golden State won the second quarter 38 to 15. That made it the largest first quarter deficit, 23 points, ever erased by halftime in the shot clock era. The Warriors outscored the Lakers by 40 over the final three quarters, and their bench finished with 50 points. Coach Steve Kerr said a 25 point hole is the new 12 in today’s NBA.
Lendeborg, meanwhile, had the night every rookie fears. He finished with six points and five turnovers and fouled out in 24 minutes. He called it the worst game he has ever played.
What did Stephen Curry say about defending Lendeborg?
Every barbershop and every rec league runs on the same code. The young boy can talk, but when the talk catches up to him, the OG steps in. Stephen Curry played that big brother role to perfection. He said afterward that having a brother’s back was part of what drove him. He added that Lendeborg is built to handle learning through trial by fire in front of everybody.
Here is the twist that turns a highlight into a story. On draft night, after Golden State took him 11th overall, Lendeborg told reporters he grew up hating Stephen Curry. He rooted for the Cleveland Cavaliers during those Warriors and Cavs Finals wars and called himself a big Kyrie Irving guy.
On Friday night, the man he grew up rooting against picked him up off the floor in front of the whole league.
What is next for the Warriors?
Golden State has won three straight after losing its first three games, and Stephen Curry has 99 points during the streak. At 38 and in his 18th season, he is not handing the stage to anybody. The streak is on the line Sunday against the LA Clippers. Lendeborg will get another shot at Doncic later this season. Something tells me he will let Steph do the talking next time.
