The Warriors kicked off their 2025 campaign with a thrilling win over the Lakers in Tuesday night's season-opener in part thanks to stars Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry, who put up 31 and 23 points respectively.

No thanks to a certain Lakers player, Curry's night could have been cruelly cut short after he was on the receiving end of a dirty play in the second quarter. Marcus Smart, who joined the Lakers on a two-year deal this past offseason, wasted no time getting after Curry on the court, and was caught taking a cheap shot at the two-time MVP that could have ended very badly.

On a Lakers' possession, Curry was defending Smart and the two got tangled at the top of the arc. Smart then hooked Curry's right arm and violently pulled him forward, causing Curry to fall onto the floor. Referees reviewed the play and issued Smart a flagrant for the seemingly dirty move: "After review, Smart grabs, clamps and twists the shoulder of Curry. That contact is unnecessary with a high potential for injury. It's been upgraded to a Flagrant Foul Penalty 1."

You can watch that foul here:

Thankfully, Curry didn't seem to be seriously injured, and the two exchanged some choice words afterward.

Many NBA fans cried foul play on Smart's shoulder-twisting move on Curry, especially given the former Celtics player's history.

Curry ended up getting the last laugh in the 119-109 win, delivering one of his signature daggers late in the fourth quarter to clinch the Warriors' first victory of the young season.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Marcus Smart Got Caught Trying Dirty Move on Steph Curry in Warriors-Lakers Game.