The Golden State Warriors made NBA history Tuesday night by winning their 16th straight game to start the season, blasting the Los Angeles Lakers, 111-77, at Oracle Arena.

With the league's most efficient offense matched up against the third-worst defense, the Warriors imposed their will from start to finish in a showcase of solid shooting, pinpoint passing and seamless execution. 

The defending champions shot 48.9 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three, but their most impressive statistical achievement came in the form of 32 assists on 45 made baskets. By comparison, the Lakers assisted 16 times on 31 converted field goals. 

Even though Stephen Curry (24 points, nine assists) couldn't find a particularly strong rhythm in catch-and-shoot situations, the Warriors overcame his shaky stroke thanks to a collective performance led by multi-positional wizard Draymond Green, who finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists. 

Curry shot 10-of-21 from the field and 4-of-12 from three on the historic night, but supplementary contributions from Harrison Barnes (eight points), Andrew Bogut (eight points, seven rebounds), Festus Ezeli (nine points, seven rebounds), Leandro Barbosa (13 points) and Klay Thompson (11 points) helped Golden State maintain its offensive equilibrium. 

The story was drastically different for the Lakers, who watched Kobe Bryant muster four points on 1-of-14 shooting (1-of-7 from three). According to Basketball-Reference.com, Tuesday marked the second time in Bryant's career he's made one or fewer shots while attempting at least 14. 

Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr. and Lou Williams tallied 10 points apiece, but they were the only Lakers to finish in double figures. 

The Warriors were cooking from the get-go, and the Lakers simply didn't have answers for Golden State's spread attack. Whether it was Barnes spotting up on the perimeter, Green and Curry working in the pick-and-roll or the reigning MVP shaking young defenders on the move, LA appeared to be in disarray from the opening tip. 

Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney noted Green's prowess on the glass in Golden State's patented small-ball lineup helped fuel the Warriors' fast start: 

What's particularly scary is Curry and Thompson combined to shoot 3-of-15 from the field in the first quarter and the Warriors still led by 19 after the game's first 12 minutes. 

ESPN Stats & Info pointed out a wild statistical disparity to illustrate just how dominant the Warriors were: 

Golden State's scintillating start dampened upset aspirations in a matter of moments, and Los Angeles' defense simply couldn't recover against a squad determined to dismantle the Purple and Gold with precision. 

The Warriors will look to build on their historic win total Friday against the Phoenix Suns (7-7) before hosting the Sacramento Kings (5-10) on Saturday afternoon. At present, Golden State isn't scheduled to square off against an opponent with a winning record until it travels east for a showdown with the Charlotte Hornets (8-6) on Dec. 2.

Based on the Warriors' current rate of production, there's reason to believe their winning streak could stretch well into the 20s with a fairly soft Eastern Conference road trip on the horizon.

Postgame Reaction

ESPN Stats & Info provided some eye-popping stats regarding the Warriors' dominant run: 

However, Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton cautioned his team won't be invincible forever, per the San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons and Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson: 

Meanwhile, the Lakers are scrambling for solutions on offense, and Bryant pleaded for a little assistance when speaking with reporters after the loss, per the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina: 

Nick Young provided his take on the Lakers' woes in a postgame interview with broadcaster John Ireland, according to LakersNation.com's Serena Winters:

"He just wasn’t making them...I got faith in Kobe that he’ll be okay, but tonight he was really struggling," head coach Byron Scott said, according to Winters.  

Stats courtesy of NBA.com unless noted otherwise.