The Los Angeles Lakers, for the second time in the last 10 years, won their opening-night game, taking a 127-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers and Warriors battled closely for a quarter, but Los Angeles’ depth shone through after that.
How the Lakers dominated
In the first quarter, Steph Curry did what he does best: get his own shot no matter what. He went 7-for-9, with 16 points in that first frame.
However, Curry scored seven points in the rest of the game, and the Lakers pulled away, winning the second quarter 32-19 and the third by an even larger margin, 36-16.
No surprise, Luka Doncic scored 28 points and totaled seven assists in the first three quarters, going back and forth with Yaxel Lendeborg.
Their rivalry peaked right before the first half ended, when he hit a half-court shot over Lendeborg.
Luka Doncic belongs in LA, an absolute showstopper. pic.twitter.com/1IlpyCVNQ3
— Nelson Espinal (@nelson__espinal) October 22, 2026
Walker Kessler was the player of the game
Halftime, instead of letting the Warriors regroup, kept the ball rolling for the Lakers. They piled it on, and with Curry out of rhythm, the Warriors’ offense had nothing to trouble LA.
All night, Walker Kessler dominated in the paint, offering elite rim protection and rim-running, exactly what the Lakers expected from him after the trade and big contract.
He finished with 26 points, going 12-for-12 with nine rebounds. All his buckets were dunks, as center Draymond Green had no match for the lob attempts the Lakers were throwing to their big man.
The Lakers’ roster-building formula was to add a quality starting big man in Walker Kessler and a boatload of wing players, alongside stars Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic.
One game in, that recipe delivered, but tougher tests lie ahead.
Who do the Lakers play next?
The Lakers play the Clippers on Friday at Crypto.com Arena, a relatively soft test for Doncic and the Lakers as they continue building chemistry.
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