The Golden State Warriors opened the regular season with a rough 127-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, and there wasn’t much about the night that looked encouraging for Steve Kerr’s group.
Stephen Curry scored 23 points, but Golden State never settled in. The Warriors fell behind by as many as 35, shot poorly from deep, and couldn’t slow the Lakers from scoring inside. Los Angeles shot 56.8% from the field and got big nights from Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler.
Doncic finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while Reaves added 23 points and six assists. Kessler was the surprise hammer blow, going a perfect 12-for-12 from the floor for 26 points, along with nine rebounds and two blocks.
Golden State did have some disruptive moments, finishing with 15 steals and 15 offensive rebounds. But those flashes were buried under the bigger problems that decided the game.
The most glaring issue was the three-point line. The Warriors went just 8-for-36 from deep, a miserable 22.2%.
Curry hit 2 of his 7 tries from three, and while Gui Santos and Yaxel Lendeborg each scored 12 points, the perimeter production never came close to matching what Golden State needed. De’Anthony Melton didn’t make a field goal, and several bench players also came up empty from long range.
Los Angeles, by contrast, made 11 of 28 three-pointers. Doncic alone hit five, which only made life harder for Golden State whenever it tried to protect the paint.
Inside, the Warriors had no answer for Kessler. He kept finishing everything, and the Lakers wound up with a 66-56 edge in paint scoring.
Golden State did grab more offensive boards, 15-10, but Los Angeles won the overall rebound battle 43-36 and controlled the defensive glass 33-21. The Warriors also managed only two blocks, while the Lakers finished with five.
Doncic and Reaves were just as troublesome as a tandem. Together they piled up 51 points and 13 assists, keeping the Lakers in control and forcing Golden State to chase.
Doncic shot 7-for-18, made all nine of his free throws, and also hit five threes. Reaves was efficient too, going 6-for-11 and knocking down all 10 of his free throws while adding six assists, four rebounds, and two steals.
Golden State did force 18 turnovers, and it came away with 15 steals. But those numbers didn’t translate into enough stops. The Lakers still put up 127 points, and the Warriors’ defense was too inconsistent to hold up over four quarters.
The overall shot chart told the story. Los Angeles made 46 of 81 shots.
Golden State made only 38 of 92. That’s a big gap, and it showed up everywhere else too.
The Lakers outscored the Warriors 21-17 in fast-break points and scored 25 points off Golden State’s 16 turnovers, while the Warriors got 20 points off Lakers mistakes.
The plus-minus numbers reflected the struggle as well. Curry finished at -22, Draymond Green was -22, and Lendeborg was -21. It was the kind of opener the Warriors will want to flush quickly.
In Other News...
Steve Kerr Had A Blunt Take On Warriors Rookies Tough Debut
Yaxel Lendeborgs NBA debut came with no easing-in period, as the Warriors rookie was thrown into the kind of assignment that can define a first impression. Against the Lakers, he was tasked with guarding Luka Doncic, and he handled a heavy workload with 12 points, three rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes while navigating all the noise that comes with being matched up against one of the leagues toughest stars.
Steve Kerr viewed it as part of the learning curve for a young player being asked to defend at that level right away, and he also had a candid read on the technical foul Lendeborg picked up after trash-talking Doncic. For Golden State, the debut served as a reminder of how quickly rookies can be tested in real NBA minutes, and how little margin there is for error when the opponent is a player of Doncics caliber. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Face A Costly Win-Now Decision At Center
The Warriors are once again staring at a familiar roster question, this time in the middle of their search for more size and stability at center. Reports say Golden State has explored trade possibilities involving Kristaps Porzingis and Myles Turner, with talks having even included the Bucks, a sign the front office is at least testing the market for a major upgrade. The appeal is obvious: both players would change the look of the frontcourt and address a need that has lingered for some time.
The cost, however, is the part that makes this more than a simple deadline-style inquiry. Adding Turner would mean giving up draft capital, another player, and some future flexibility because of his contract, which puts the Warriors in the middle of the same win-now versus long-term debate that has shaped so many of their recent decisions. Milwaukees reported lack of interest only adds another layer to the uncertainty, leaving Golden State to weigh how much it is willing to sacrifice for a move that could alter both the present season and what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Rookie Sent A Message To Luka And Vets Loved It
Yaxel Lendeborg did not spend his first NBA game blending into the background. In his debut for the Warriors, the rookie found himself jawing with Luka Doncic on the court, a moment that fit the edge Golden State has long valued in its younger players. He also backed it up with a solid outing, finishing with 12 points and three rebounds even as the Warriors came up short against the Lakers.
Draymond Green and Stephen Curry both publicly had Lendeborgs back afterward, a notable sign of approval from two veterans who know plenty about competitiveness crossing the line into something more. For a rookie trying to establish himself in a locker room built around intensity and accountability, that kind of support matters. It also leaves the intriguing question of how far Lendeborg can carry that confidence the next time the lights get a little brighter. [Read more 🡒]