Walker Kessler’s return to Salt Lake City didn’t go the way the Lakers would have hoped, but Luka Doncic made sure the big man left with a message, not a problem.
Kessler struggled Sunday afternoon in his first game back against the Utah Jazz as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, posting just two points, seven rebounds and one block in 28 minutes. That came after he had opened the season on a strong note, piling up 24 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 4.0 blocks across his first two outings, both Lakers wins over the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.
The rough night could have been magnified because of the matchup. Facing the Jazz figured to give Kessler another chance to produce, especially with Jusuf Nurkic out and Utah starting Jaren Jackson Jr. at center, a role that is not his natural position. Instead, Kessler’s production dipped, though the Lakers still stormed back to beat the Jazz 132-123.
Doncic said the team wasn’t about to make one off night into anything bigger.
“Obviously it wasn’t his best game. But we won the game and he had two fantastic first games. I told him just move on, we won this game and we got your back,” Doncic said in his postgame presser, via Khobi Price of the California Post.
Kessler acknowledged afterward that his emotions got the better of him, but the Lakers were able to cover for the dip. Doncic led the charge with 52 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists, and Los Angeles improved to 3-0 on the season.
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Walker Kessler Had A Tough Return And Lakers Fans Noticed
The Lakers 132-123 win over the Jazz kept their perfect start intact, but one of the more noticeable subplots came from the other side. Walker Kessler was back in Utah for the first time since being traded, and the emotions of the night seemed to follow him from the opening tip, with Lakers fans taking note of how unsettled the return appeared to be.
Kessler finished with two points, seven rebounds and one block, a quiet line for a player who has usually made his value felt around the rim. Afterward, he acknowledged that the moment affected his play and still made a point to show appreciation for his teammates, leaving a reminder that even in October, these kinds of returns can carry a little more weight than the box score shows. [Read more 🡒]
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The Lakers have opened the 2026-27 season with a burst of momentum, and Luka Doncic has been at the center of it. Los Angeles beat the Utah Jazz 132-123 at the Delta Center for its third straight win, with Doncic carrying the night with a season-high 52 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds while Austin Reaves added 29 points. Even after falling behind by 18, the Lakers kept coming, a sign that early-season belief is already building around the group.
What will matter next is whether that resilience can keep masking a rebounding issue that still looks serious. The Lakers have shown they can score enough to survive some rough patches, but the work on the glass remains a concern even in a game where the offense was rolling and the record moved to 3-0. For a team trying to stack wins early, that kind of problem can be easy to overlook for a night and hard to ignore over time. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler's Utah Return Says Plenty About The Lakers' New Center
The Lakers first road trip of the season brought an early look at how Walker Kesslers change of address will play out on the floor and off it. Back in Utah after being signed and traded to Los Angeles in the offseason, the new Lakers center stepped into an unfamiliar scene that still carried plenty of familiarity, from the arena to the fans who watched him grow into a notable part of the Jazzs recent plans. Utah even rolled out a welcome message for Kessler on the big screen, a small but telling nod to a return that was never going to feel entirely routine.
Some of the crowd was more reserved about it, reflecting the mixed feelings that can follow a departure like that. For the Lakers, though, the bigger picture was clear enough: they came in at 2-0 and were already looking ahead to a home date with the Portland Trail Blazers, with Kesslers first Utah visit offering one more reminder that this season will be as much about fitting pieces together as it is about the standings. [Read more 🡒]