The Golden State Warriors return to the Chase Center for their home opener Friday night as they host the Memphis Grizzlies. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Golden State’s season got off to a rough start Wednesday night with a 127-105 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. While the Warriors managed to keep pace in the first quarter, the game quickly got out of hand, largely due to their lack of depth. Starting shooting guard Brandin Podziemski was ruled out prior to the game with a back injury, while an already thin frontcourt missing starting center Kristaps Porzingis was further depleted by the absence of Charles Bassey.
As a result, the Warriors had no answer for new Lakers big man Walker Kessler, who dominated the paint with 26 points on a perfect 12-of-12 shooting from the field, including 11 dunks. Golden State’s defensive struggles were on full display as Los Angeles built a lead as large as 35 points before ultimately handing the Warriors their first loss of the season.
The Warriors will look to bounce back Friday night against the Grizzlies, with one player worth keeping an eye on being rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg. The 11th overall pick made headlines during his NBA debut Wednesday night after exchanging words with Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, who finished with a game-high 28 points. Lendeborg’s willingness to challenge the five-time All-Star drew support from his veteran teammates after the game, and the rookie backed up his confidence with a solid debut outing of 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Now, he’ll look to build on that performance in his home debut against a Grizzlies team featuring a highly touted rookie of their own in big man Cam Boozer, the third overall pick in this year’s draft.
Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!
**Warriors:** Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green
**Grizzlies:** Ty Jerome, Jaylen Wells, Jerami Grant, Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey
**Who:** Golden State Warriors (0 – 1) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (1 - 0)
**When:** Friday, October 23rd, at 7:00 p.m. PT
**Where:** Chase Center — San Francisco, California
**TV and Streaming:** NBC Sports Bay Area
See More:
* [Golden State Warriors Discussion](/warriors-game-previews)
* [Warriors Schedule](/warriors-schedule)