Luka Doncic and Walker Kessler delivered a thunderous opening night for the Lakers, connecting on an alley-oop dunk on the first possession of Wednesday's opener against the Warriors. For a franchise that has installed Doncic as the heir to LeBron James and rebuilt its roster around him, the instant chemistry was a promising sign of things to come.
By night's end, Doncic had posted a game-high 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, while Kessler added 26 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in his standout Lakers debut. The duo powered a 127-105 blowout victory over the undermanned Warriors. Doncic keyed a 17-4 Lakers run to close the second quarter, capping it with a 49-footer that beat the halftime buzzer. "It's a lot of honor to be the face of the franchise," Doncic said. "That's just the first game. I think our ceiling is even higher."
Kessler was nearly perfect, going 12-for-12 from the field in his first regular-season game since shoulder surgery in November. He became the first Lakers player to shoot 100% on at least 12 field goal attempts since Wilt Chamberlain in 1969, and the first in franchise history to convert 10 dunks in a game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003. Coach JJ Redick praised Kessler's "great opening statement" and credited his transition hustle for generating high-percentage looks.
Redick's starting lineup of Doncic, Kessler, Austin Reaves, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams outscored the Warriors 34-24 in their 12 minutes together. Reaves posted 23 points and 6 assists. Meanwhile, Golden State was missing several key players, including Jimmy Butler III, Brandin Podziemski and Kristaps Porzingis, and Stephen Curry's 23 points were not enough to keep pace as the Warriors faded in the second half.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing