By halftime Monday night, the New Orleans Pelicans looked like a team begging for the final buzzer. Stephen Curry had already helped dismantle their defense. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg attacked the basket with the confidence of a veteran, while Brandin Podziemski punished every defensive rotation that arrived a second too late. The scoreboard at Chase Center read 72–43.
Golden State wasn’t finished embarrassing New Orleans. By the final buzzer, the Warriors had completed a 138–87 demolition, their largest victory at Chase Center and the fourth-biggest winning margin in franchise history. Curry scored 25 points in barely 20 minutes. Podziemski matched his total, and Lendeborg added 23 points on eight-of-10 shooting. The 51-point destruction completed something no NBA franchise had accomplished before: eight consecutive victories immediately following an 0–3 start.
Eighteen days earlier, Golden State looked like expensive machinery approaching its final breakdown. Curry had turned 38. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody couldn’t play, and Kristaps Porziņģis remained unavailable. Steve Kerr faced an uncomfortable question: Had his championship core finally reached the end? Eleven games into the season, the Warriors stood at 8–3. They hadn’t merely survived their opening disaster. They had developed an offense with multiple scoring options and a defense that finally looked capable of protecting leads. Writing off Curry has become one of basketball’s laziest annual traditions. What’s genuinely surprising isn’t his continued greatness. It’s how quickly Golden State found enough help to stop asking him to manufacture every victory.
Three Losses That Exposed Golden State’s Problems
The warning signs arrived on opening night, October 21. The Los Angeles Lakers dismantled Golden State 127–105. Luka Dončić scored 28 points, while the Warriors made only eight of their 36 three-point attempts. Los Angeles attacked the paint, stretched the lead to 35, and exposed a team struggling to establish any offensive rhythm. Memphis delivered the next humiliation. Golden State held a fourth-quarter advantage against the Grizzlies on October 23, only to surrender a devastating 17–2 run. Memphis escaped Chase Center with a 111–108 victory, leaving Kerr’s team with another loss it could trace directly to its own mistakes.
Phoenix completed the collapse two nights later. The Suns won 131–122 despite a much better Golden State shooting performance. Three defeats had revealed three different problems: inconsistent perimeter shooting, fragile late-game execution, and defensive breakdowns that opponents exploited repeatedly. The injury situation made everything worse. Butler continued rehabilitating his surgically repaired right ACL. Moody remained sidelined following surgery to repair his ruptured left patellar tendon.
Porziņģis presented a more complicated situation. Golden State initially ruled him out indefinitely because of an undisclosed health-related matter. On November 6, the veteran center announced that he would step away from basketball to prioritize his health. He offered no return date. Porziņģis had previously disclosed a diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, but he did not identify that condition as the reason for his latest absence.
Without three established contributors, Kerr needed younger players to assume responsibilities that their résumés hadn’t prepared them to handle. The Curry–Draymond Green partnership still anchored Golden State. Everything surrounding it needed serious work. That made the next eight games particularly revealing. The Warriors didn’t repair their season through a single adjustment. They found several different ways to win.
Win No. 1: Denver Nuggets — October 26 — Lendeborg Announces Himself
Denver presented a miserable destination for a winless team searching for confidence. Nikola Jokić controlled the Nuggets’ offense, and another defeat would have given Golden State its first 0–4 opening since 2007–08. Yaxel Lendeborg had other plans. The 2026 draft’s 11th overall selection bullied his way to 31 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Warriors to a 134–114 victory at Ball Arena.
He converted 12 of 13 free throws, repeatedly forcing Denver to defend his physical drives rather than settling for contested perimeter attempts. For a rookie confronting Jokić’s frontcourt on the road, that aggression mattered more than the final scoring total. Curry supplied the finishing damage. After scoring just three points before halftime, he erupted for 21 in the second half. The veteran made all eight of his field-goal attempts after the break as Golden State poured in 74 points.
The Warriors also outrebounded Denver 50–36. Lendeborg didn’t simply provide relief from three consecutive defeats. He gave Kerr something the roster desperately lacked: a second offensive threat who could create scoring opportunities through strength rather than Curry’s shooting gravity.
Win No. 2: Minnesota Timberwolves — October 28 — Curry Refuses to Age Quietly
Minnesota learned that Curry’s shooting range still creates problems no defensive scheme can comfortably solve. The 38-year-old scored 44 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and delivered six assists in a 119–114 victory. His six three-pointers stretched Minnesota’s perimeter coverage. His 16-for-16 performance at the foul line punished every desperate attempt to stop him.
Golden State built a 24-point advantage before allowing the Timberwolves back into the game. Former Warrior Jonathan Kuminga scored 20 points for Minnesota, which played without Anthony Edwards following knee surgery. The hosts cut Golden State’s lead to three late in the fourth quarter. Curry refused to give them another opening. He finished with his 76th career 40-point performance and tied LeBron James with 15 such games after turning 35.
Forget the sentimental arguments about aging gracefully. Curry doesn’t survive because defenders respect his résumé. He survives because they still can’t afford to leave him alone. His threat stretches pick-and-roll coverage several feet beyond ordinary shooting territory. That pressure changes the spacing for every teammate who shares the floor with him. Minnesota couldn’t escape it.
Win No. 3: Los Angeles Lakers — October 30 — A 25-Point Collapse Becomes a Statement
The Lakers appeared ready to bury Golden State for the second time in ten days. Los Angeles opened the Emirates NBA Cup matchup with a commanding first quarter and extended its advantage to 25 points. Then Curry started firing. Golden State made 22 three-pointers, including eight from its franchise superstar, and completed a stunning 112–95 comeback at Chase Center.
The Warriors closed the first half with a 16–2 run. Podziemski’s three-pointer tied the game at 53, erasing nearly the entire damage of that disastrous opening quarter. Their recovery had a clear offensive explanation. Curry punished defenders who retreated toward the paint. His teammates found space along the perimeter, and Golden State continued moving the ball rather than relying on increasingly difficult isolation attempts.
The bench delivered the night’s most humiliating statistic. Warriors reserves outscored the Lakers’ bench 50–7. Golden State’s 22 three-pointers provided the spectacle. The bench disparity exposed something more troubling for Los Angeles: Kerr could overwhelm its supporting cast without requiring Curry to dominate every possession. The Warriors had recovered from a 25-point deficit before. Doing so with this roster changed the conversation about its ceiling.
Win No. 4: Los Angeles Clippers — November 1 — The Rookie Takes Over
Kerr rested Curry and Green against the Clippers. For a team that had opened the season 0–3, sitting both veteran leaders could have invited another painful defeat. Lendeborg turned the night into his personal showcase. The rookie scored 37 points, made six three-pointers, and handed out six assists in a 124–112 victory.
Golden State trailed by 11 after the first quarter before exploding on a 26–6 second-quarter run. Lendeborg contributed 14 points during that period, hitting five of six field-goal attempts and burying two three-pointers. He finished 13-for-19 from the field. De’Anthony Melton supplied another 21 points, while Podziemski organized the offense with eight assists. The Warriors registered 32 assists and connected on 22 three-pointers despite playing without their two most recognizable veterans.
Lendeborg’s 37 points marked the highest-scoring performance by a Golden State rookie since Curry dropped 42 against Portland in April 2010. That comparison deserves attention without becoming a prediction. Lendeborg doesn’t need to become another Curry to transform Golden State’s immediate future. He simply needs to make opponents pay for treating everyone else as a supporting actor. Against the Clippers, he did far more than that.
Win No. 5: Phoenix Suns — November 2 — Bassey Gives Golden State an Interior Answer
Phoenix had already beaten Golden State during opening week. The rematch threatened to follow the same script. The Suns built a 17-point advantage, and the Warriors entered halftime still struggling to contain Phoenix’s offense. Curry attacked the deficit with 18 third-quarter points. Golden State scored 42 during the period, overturning the game’s momentum and entering the fourth tied at 93.
But Charles Bassey changed how Phoenix had to defend. The reserve center scored a career-high 19 points on seven-of-10 shooting, adding eight rebounds in approximately 23 minutes. He sealed defenders beneath the basket, finished through contact, and created scoring opportunities that didn’t require Golden State to win another perimeter shooting contest. Bassey’s basket to open the fourth quarter gave the Warriors their first lead.
The closing minutes turned ugly. Devin Booker fouled out with 58 seconds remaining. Curry made three free throws during the final minute, although he missed his last attempt with five seconds left. Podziemski grabbed the offensive rebound, keeping Phoenix from immediately launching a potential tying shot. After a missed putback and a defensive rebound, Suns guard Collin Gillespie missed a desperate 36-foot three-pointer at the buzzer. Golden State escaped 116–113. The victory revealed both the Warriors’ improved options and their remaining volatility. Green also received an ejection during a third-quarter confrontation, forcing the rotation to adjust on the fly. Bassey’s production mattered because it gave Kerr an actual interior alternative. An offense built around shooting still needs someone willing to absorb contact beneath the rim.
Win No. 6: Miami Heat — November 5 — Green Conducts a Different Orchestra
Klay Thompson returned to Chase Center wearing a Miami Heat uniform. The reunion invited nostalgia. Golden State’s old championship partnership had produced too many unforgettable moments for the crowd to ignore him. But the current Warriors had their own business to handle. Miami jumped ahead by ten points early. The teams reached halftime tied at 53 before Curry ripped the game open with 14 third-quarter points.
Golden State surged ahead during a 20–4 run and cruised to a 120–100 victory. Curry finished with 29 points and six three-pointers, passing Oscar Robertson for 17th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Green controlled the offense in a different way. He recorded 11 assists, reading Miami’s defensive rotations and firing passes to teammates cutting behind overcommitted defenders.
One full-court pass to Curry produced a transition layup during the second quarter. Golden State kept using that same principle: move before the defense can reset. The Warriors finished with 36 assists. Thompson’s return supplied an emotional reminder of Golden State’s past. Green’s passing offered something more useful: evidence that the team’s existing system could support players with very different offensive strengths. Nostalgia doesn’t win games in November. Finding cutters, creating angles, and recognizing defensive mistakes still does.
Win No. 7: Orlando Magic — November 7 — Curry Rescues an Ugly Overtime Battle
Orlando nearly ended Golden State’s streak by attacking its weakest point. The Magic hammered the offensive glass, generating 33 second-chance points against Golden State’s two. That disparity bordered on absurd. Franz Wagner finished with 30 points and 11 assists. Orlando erased a double-digit deficit and forced Curry into another fourth-quarter rescue operation.
He responded with a sequence that deserved more attention than the final 41-point total. With 2:21 remaining in regulation, Curry split the defense for a tying layup. Moments later, he buried a three-pointer from the top of the key. Orlando answered, so Curry returned to virtually the same spot and hit another. With 25.2 seconds remaining, he attacked in isolation, reached the basket, and banked home a layup for a 110–108 lead. Golden State couldn’t finish the defensive possession. Orlando collected multiple offensive rebounds before Jamal Cain converted a putback in the final seconds, forcing overtime.
Curry refused to let the missed opportunity become another collapse. His three-point play with 1:38 remaining put Golden State ahead. After Wendell Carter Jr. missed two free throws, Curry added another layup.
Lendeborg contributed a crucial overtime three-pointer, and the Warriors outscored Orlando 16–9 in the extra period for a 126–119 victory. Curry finished with his 77th career 40-point performance, tying Robertson for eighth on the NBA’s all-time list. He also surpassed James for the most 40-point games after turning 35, recording his 16th.
The performance exposed a contradiction inside Golden State’s revival. Curry could still win difficult games almost single-handedly. Yet the Warriors couldn’t keep surrendering offensive rebounds at that rate and expect him to rescue every possession. Their seventh straight victory matched a historical benchmark previously reached by the 1950–51 Boston Celtics following an 0–3 opening. New Orleans offered the opportunity to go one better.
Win No. 8: New Orleans Pelicans — November 9 — A 51-Point Destruction Makes History
Golden State entered Monday’s matchup chasing history. The Pelicans barely made them work for it. The Warriors scored 35 first-quarter points while holding New Orleans to 20. By halftime, the lead had reached 29. Curry and Podziemski supplied 25 points apiece. Lendeborg scored 23, collected seven rebounds, and added four assists. The rookie made all four of his three-point attempts.
Golden State hit 21 of 44 shots from beyond the arc, shooting 47.7%. Its reserves maintained the punishment, contributing 60 points even as the outcome became inevitable. The bench never eased off the accelerator. New Orleans offered limited resistance, particularly without Zion Williamson, who rested on the second night of a back-to-back. Trey Murphy III also missed the game while managing problems in both knees. Those absences deserve acknowledgment. A 51-point victory over a depleted opponent doesn’t automatically make Golden State a championship contender.
Still, the Warriors controlled almost every meaningful part of the game. They collected 37 assists on 50 made baskets, outscored New Orleans 52–38 in the paint, and committed just 11 turnovers. Curry also climbed past DeMar DeRozan into 16th place on the NBA’s career scoring list, finishing with 26,803 points. The final score, 138–87, gave Golden State its first eight-game winning streak since the 2021–22 championship season. No NBA team had previously followed three opening losses with eight consecutive victories. Kerr’s team had turned an October disaster into a historic November.
Defense Stops Being Golden State’s Biggest Liability
Golden State’s eight-game winning streak produced plenty of spectacular shooting numbers. Its defensive improvement deserves just as much attention. The Warriors ranked 29th in defensive rating during their opening three losses. Across the following eight victories, they climbed to fourth. That’s a dramatic swing, even allowing for the small sample. Green has anchored the turnaround. His communication helps Golden State coordinate switches, protect vulnerable matchups, and avoid leaving teammates stranded during opposing pick-and-roll actions. At center, Green also gives Kerr a defender capable of reading developing plays before the ball reaches its intended target.
Associate head coach Frank Vogel has pushed the Warriors toward a more physical approach. Golden State now places greater emphasis on ball pressure, contact around screens, and protecting the paint. Vogel’s changing coverage calls ask defenders to recognize when to switch assignments and when to provide help behind the play. The central idea remains straightforward: make opposing ball handlers uncomfortable before they can organize their offense. Against New Orleans, Al Horford recorded two steals and three blocks. Bassey secured ten rebounds, helping Golden State control the interior. Both veterans give Kerr alternatives when smaller combinations struggle against physical frontcourts.
The improvement also reflects better transition defense and stronger discipline after missed shots. Yet Orlando exposed how quickly those gains can disappear. The Magic’s 33–2 advantage in second-chance scoring demonstrated that Golden State still struggles to finish defensive possessions against aggressive rebounders. That weakness cannot survive repeated encounters with larger Western Conference opponents. The defensive leap matters because it suggests the Warriors’ winning streak doesn’t depend entirely on extraordinary three-point shooting. But fourth-place efficiency across eight games isn’t proof of an elite defense across 82. Golden State still needs to earn that distinction.
Curry Finally Has Teammates Who Can Carry Real Responsibility
Curry averaged 32.6 points across his seven appearances during the winning streak and shot 49.3% from three-point range. Those figures belong in any serious conversation about elite offensive players, regardless of age. Yet his teammates have changed the burden surrounding him. During the streak, Golden State shot 40.3% from beyond the arc and assisted on 70% of its made field goals. The bench contributed 492 points. Those aren’t decorative statistics. They explain how the Warriors survived Curry’s rest against the Clippers and repeatedly recovered from double-digit deficits.
Lendeborg supplies physical scoring, rebounding, and secondary playmaking. His ability to attack closeouts forces defenders to respect much more than Golden State’s perimeter shooting. Podziemski connects the different pieces. The fourth-year guard averaged a career-high 16.8 points and 4.2 assists through the opening 11 games. His 40.3% three-point shooting gave defenders another difficult choice whenever Curry drew extra attention. He also moves without demanding possession after possession, creating space for combinations that might otherwise struggle to function together.
The supporting cast offers several distinct roles. De’Anthony Melton provides perimeter defense, additional ball handling, and outside shooting. Georges Niang, the veteran floor-spacing forward, pulls opposing big men toward the three-point line. That spacing creates driving lanes for Curry, Lendeborg, and Golden State’s cutters. Bassey brings rebounding, rim protection, and forceful interior finishing. Brandon Williams supplies downhill scoring and penetration from the second unit, giving Kerr another guard capable of creating offense when Curry rests. Horford adds screening, defensive positioning, and veteran decision-making.
Together, those players make Golden State’s five-out offensive sets more adaptable. They can spread defenders across the perimeter without abandoning pressure near the basket. That’s the real difference between this team and the version that opened 0–3. The Warriors don’t have to pray for Curry to make another impossible shot every time their offense stalls. They can attack a mismatch, find a cutter, or let Lendeborg create a better look.
For years, Golden State’s Strength in Numbers philosophy served as both a championship principle and a marketing slogan. Now the numbers provide a harder argument. Outscoring the Lakers’ reserves 50–7 and generating 492 bench points across eight victories tells a more convincing story about this roster than another celebration of Curry’s shooting range. The old dynasty relied on extraordinary stars. This version has started winning because its less celebrated players can handle responsibilities that previously overwhelmed the supporting cast.
Houston Awaits as the Warriors Face Their Next Test
Golden State’s historic turnaround now moves away from Chase Center. The Warriors begin a five-game road trip Wednesday, November 11, against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. Visits to San Antonio, New Orleans, Dallas, and Memphis follow. For all the optimism surrounding their 8–3 record, the next stretch presents a much less forgiving test. Houston can attack mismatches through Durant and Alperen Şengün. The Rockets also possess enough size and physicality to challenge Golden State’s rebounding. That matters after Orlando’s offensive-glass dominance exposed the Warriors’ lingering weakness.
Injuries further complicate the trip. Williams suffered a mild left hamstring strain against New Orleans. An MRI confirmed the injury, and Golden State plans to re-evaluate him after one week. Will Richard faces an uncertain timetable after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. He must decide whether to undergo surgery or attempt to play with a splint. Butler and Moody remain unavailable, while Porziņģis has stepped away from basketball without announcing a return. Kerr’s improved depth faces a difficult reality: Every additional injury reduces the lineup flexibility that helped produce this streak.
Curry can still embarrass elite defenders. Lendeborg already looks capable of becoming a serious offensive partner. Green continues organizing the defense, and Podziemski has made himself indispensable to the team’s ball movement. None of that guarantees another championship run. The NBA has a habit of treating every early winning streak as evidence of a contender. That’s usually premature, and Golden State hasn’t earned immunity from the same skepticism.
What the Warriors have earned is something more tangible: eight consecutive victories, a place in league history, and a supporting cast that no longer looks helpless when Curry sits. Beating a depleted Pelicans team by 51 points put Golden State in the record books. Surviving Kevin Durant in Houston on Wednesday night will provide a much tougher measure of whether these Warriors belong back in the championship conversation.
READ ALSO: Stephen Curry Passes Oscar Robertson in Warriors’ 6th Win
FAQs
Did the Warriors make NBA history after starting 0–3?
Yes. Golden State became the first NBA team to win eight consecutive games immediately after losing its first three games of a season.
How many points did Stephen Curry score during the Warriors’ eight-game winning streak?
Curry averaged 32.6 points across his seven appearances and shot 49.3% from three-point range.
How did Yaxel Lendeborg help the Warriors win eight straight?
Lendeborg gave Golden State another reliable scorer. His biggest performance came against the Clippers, when he scored 37 points without Curry playing.
What changed for Golden State after its 0–3 start?
The Warriors improved defensively, shared the ball more effectively, and received stronger contributions from Lendeborg, Podziemski, and their reserves.
Who do the Warriors play after their historic winning streak?
Golden State visits Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets on November 11, opening a five-game road trip that will test its depth.
