The Golden State Warriors tipped off in style with a 119-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. The matchup carried extra intrigue because LeBron James was sidelined for the first opening night of his 23-year career. Analysts have strongly suggested that the veteran’s sciatica issue, given his age, may be more problematic to manage than initially thought. JJ Redick had spent the entire preseason plugging different gaps, but to no avail. A third-quarter system failure had the Purple & Gold in trouble, and Draymond Green weighed in on why.

Green, the physical veteran forward at the Bay, spoke about how unusual it was not having James on the court. “LeBron’s old a– was over there in his Phil Jackson chair,” he joked.

“No. It’s always different when he’s not out there. Ob

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