Austin Reaves lit up the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Lakers had enough everywhere else to turn it into a 125-117 win.
The night belonged to Reaves, who racked up 28 points on 10-for-13 shooting and added nine assists. He kept finding gaps in the Clippers’ defense and made them pay every time they gave him space. When he was cooking like that, the Lakers always had a steady answer.
He wasn’t alone. Walker Kessler delivered a massive two-way effort with 22 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and six blocks, giving Los Angeles the kind of interior force that changed the game at both ends. The Lakers also got 23 points and seven assists from Luka Doncic, though his 11 turnovers loomed large over an otherwise productive line.
As a team, Los Angeles was sharp where it mattered most. The Lakers shot 58.2% from the floor, piled up 29 assists, and swatted nine shots. They also handled the ball a little better than the Clippers, finishing with 21 turnovers to the Clippers’ 26.
The Clippers still had scoring spread around them, with four players reaching at least 16 points. Darius Garland led that group with 26, and Brook Lopez added 22 off the bench. But the Lakers’ efficiency and rim protection kept those numbers from being enough.
Matisse Thybulle gave the Lakers a strong two-way lift as well, scoring 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting while also collecting two steals and a block. He knocked down three of six from deep and didn’t turn it over in 24 minutes.
Ziaire Williams was just as clean in his own role, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block while going 5-for-7 from the field and not coughing it up once. Quentin Grimes chipped in with 13 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, hitting all three of his three-point tries and all four free throws.
Sandro Mamukelashvili added seven points and five rebounds in 24 minutes, while Collin Sexton brought some defensive punch with three steals in a 16-minute stint.
Here’s how the Lakers graded out in the win.
Austin Reaves: A+
Game Stats: 28 PTS, 2 REB, 9 AST, 2 STL, 6 TOV, 10-13 FG, 3-5 3-PT FG, 5-6 FT, 38 MIN
Walker Kessler: A+
Game Stats: 22 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL, 6 BLK, 1 TOV, 10-14 FG, 2-5 FT, 35 MIN
Matisse Thybulle: A-
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 5-8 FG, 3-6 3-PT FG, 24 MIN
Ziaire Williams: A-
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 5 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 5-7 FG, 1-3 3-PT FG, 3-3 FT, 31 MIN
Quentin Grimes: A-
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 2 TOV, 3-6 FG, 3-5 3-PT FG, 4-4 FT, 31 MIN
Luka Doncic: B-
Game Stats: 23 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST, 1 BLK, 11 TOV, 8-21 FG, 2-8 3-PT FG, 5-7 FT, 37 MIN
Sandro Mamukelashvili: B-
Game Stats: 7 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 3-4 FG, 1-2 3-PT FG, 24 MIN
Collin Sexton: C+
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL, 1 TOV, 2-6 FG, 1-3 3-PT FG, 16 MIN
Kevon Looney: N/A
Game Stats: 1 REB, 5 MIN
In Other News...
Lakers Already Have A Walker Kessler Problem They Can't Ignore
Walker Kessler gave the Lakers exactly the sort of start they were hoping for in the season opener, but his quick fit also highlighted how thin they are behind him. Los Angeles does not have a dependable backup center in place, and with Kessler still working back from a previous injury, the team is already in a spot where one good game can sharpen the need for more frontcourt help rather than ease it.
The Lakers are reportedly keeping an eye on the market for another big man, which makes sense given the strain they could face if Kessler has to carry too much too soon. Managing his workload is going to matter all season, and the early concern is not about whether he can help, but about how often the Lakers can ask him to do it without leaving themselves exposed elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Passed On A Dalton Knecht Deal For One Frustrating Reason
The Lakers spent part of the roster-cutting process looking for a way to create room without simply giving something away, and Dalton Knecht briefly surfaced in those conversations. According to the talks with Milwaukee, Los Angeles explored moving Knecht and Jericho Sims as it tried to get under its roster limit, but the sides could not line up on the draft-pick compensation attached to the deal.
Jericho Sims was the key piece in those discussions, and the price attached to him proved to be the sticking point. Rather than meet the Bucks asking price, the Lakers moved on and released Knecht instead, leaving the front office to solve its roster crunch without completing the trade it had considered. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Reaves Is Forcing A New Lakers Debate Already
Austin Reaves has wasted no time making the Lakers think bigger about how this offense should be built. In the 125-117 win over the Clippers, he led Los Angeles with 28 points while Luka Doncic added 23, and the early season production has already put both players on the same scoring total through two games. For a team that spent the offseason reshaping its identity, that kind of balance has made Reaves impossible to ignore.
The praise has followed. James Worthy, Derek Fisher and former player Kevin Garnett have all singled out Reaves for the creativity and skill he brings, along with the way he affects the team beyond just scoring. The question now is not whether he belongs in the conversation, but how the Lakers sort out a rotation and pecking order when he keeps playing like this. [Read more 🡒]