Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors crossed swords against the LA Lakers in what marked the Dubs' first preseason game ahead of the 2025–26 regular season. The Warriors went with a small-ball starting lineup featuring Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.Curry wasted no time getting the Chase Center crowd into the action. The veteran point guard knocked down his first 3-pointer just five minutes into the game and followed it up with another deep shot seconds later.In the first quarter alone, the perennial All-Star poured in 11 points on 4 of 5 shooting from the field, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.In the second quarter, the two-time league MVP attempted two more shots from beyond the arc, connecting on one of them. Since it was the first preseason game, Curry was on a minutes restriction and checked out midway through the second period.Steph Curry finished with 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range, and 1 of 1 from the free-throw line. He also recorded one rebound and two assists on 14:56 minutes.Why did Curry play only 15 minutes against LA Lakers?Steph Curry is preparing to play in his 17th season and he still appears motivated to make another run for the championship. However, the aging superstar has dealt with several injuries over the past 12 months and the Warriors will need to be extremely cautious in managing his workload throughout the season. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has made it clear that Curry won’t play heavy minutes in the preseason. Kerr stated that all his veteran players, including Curry, would play around 15 minutes in the preseason opener against the Lakers. As it turned out, the veteran point guard stayed well within those minutes restrictions.