At times on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers looked solid in their fourth preseason game of 2026 against the Golden State Warriors. They were without Luka Doncic, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr, but they ended the first half ahead by a score of 63-50, and they were sharing the ball offensively and showing a strong effort on the defensive end.
However, things fell apart for them after halftime. They mustered just 13 points and were outscored by nine in the third quarter, and they lost their lead early in the fourth quarter. Down the stretch, coach JJ Redick played lineups that included Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy and two-way contract players Arthur Kaluma and Chris Mañon, not exactly players who will see a lot of playing time in the regular season. The Lakers only managed 13 points in the fourth quarter and ended up losing 101-89.
Still, four of their men performed well, which seems to bode well for their regular-season opener next Wednesday.
Austin Reaves
Reaves looked to be in midseason form on Tuesday. He attacked early and often, and he finished with 28 points on 10-of-18 overall shooting and 4-of-7 from 3-point range, to go along with seven assists and four rebounds.
He did, however, have seven turnovers, but some of that could likely be attributed to the fact that it is the preseason and that Los Angeles hasn't had any reps together as a full unit. But Reaves seems to be poised for yet another bump in his stats this season, especially in the scoring column.
Walker Kessler
Kessler finally made his 2026 preseason debut on Tuesday after missing the team's first three preseason contests with a jammed left pinky finger. He played just 16 minutes, but he grabbed nine rebounds and scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting while adding one assist, one steal and one block.
He led the Lakers in the plus/minus category with a plus-15. He altered several shots during Tuesday's contest, and he looked to make quick outlet passes after grabbing defensive rebounds to trigger transition opportunities.. Thanks largely to Kessler, the Lakers outrebounded Golden State by five.
Quentin Grimes
Grimes played 26 minutes on Tuesday, and while he didn't have a big performance, it is easy to see how he will make a positive impact.
He made seven of his four shot attempts to score nine points, and he also had six assists, one steal and one block. He has a quick trigger off the dribble, which can led to some questionable shots, but he has the ability to help give the team an offensive boost when Reaves or Doncic are corralled and need an outlet.
Defensively, Grimes is doing a fine job of applying pressure on the perimeter, and that gives the Lakers the potential to be a much-improved defensive team.
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili continues to look impressive this preseason. Versus Golden State, he made four of his seven field-goal attempts and two of his three 3-point tries, giving him 10 points. In 21 minutes of playing time, he also contributed seven rebounds and two assists.
It's starting to look like the big man may be somewhat underrated as far as his abilities on the offensive end. His ability to hit from the outside, attack downhill, hit the open man and start fast breaks off defensive rebounds will help stabilize the Lakers' offense in a number of situations, whether he ultimately starts or comes off the bench.
This article originally appeared on Lakers Wire: Four Lakers players who performed well in Tuesday's game vs. Warriors