The Golden State Warriors entered Friday's NBA Cup matchup against the San Antonio Spurs without Stephen Curry, who is sidelined with an oblique abdominal tear. Without their leading scorer, the Warriors struggled to find an offensive rhythm from the opening possession.

The Spurs scored the first 18 points, handing Steve Kerr's team its worst start to a game during his tenure as head coach. Golden State went scoreless for the first six minutes and missed its first 11 shots before Gui Santos finally ended the drought with a layup.

“That 18-0 Spurs run is the longest unanswered allowed by the Warriors to start a game under Steve Kerr, per @StatsWilliams,” Anthony Slater of ESPN tweeted.

San Antonio took control immediately and never looked back. The Spurs scored 38 points in the first quarter while limiting Golden State to 14. Stephon Castle led the charge with 18 points in the opening period, outscoring the Warriors' entire starting lineup.

Castle continued to punish the visitors, finishing with a season-high 32 points, six assists and five rebounds in just 25 minutes. Victor Wembanyama also made his presence felt as San Antonio built a 30-point halftime advantage.

The Warriors struggled throughout the night, shooting just 25% from the field in the first half. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, expected to take on a larger offensive role with Curry unavailable, finished with only three points on 1-of-13 shooting in 23 minutes.

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After the game, Kerr credited San Antonio for its dominant opening stretch. “They were lights-out,” he said. “They played a great first five minutes, took it to us. Give them the credit.”

The defeat dropped Golden State to 1-1 in NBA Cup group play, while San Antonio extended its winning streak to 11 games and moved atop West Group C.