Doncic Scores 28, Kessler Perfect as Lakers Beat Warriors 127-105

The Los Angeles Lakers opened the 2026-27 season with a 127-105 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena, taking control in the second quarter and never letting the game get close again.

Kessler does not miss on his debut

Walker Kessler, the center the Lakers landed in a sign and trade this summer, scored 26 points on 12 of 12 shooting in his first game for Los Angeles. He took 9 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. Ten of his baskets were dunks, most of them lobs from Luka Doncic, and the first came on an alley-oop on the opening play of the game. According to ESPN, the 10 dunks were the most by a Lakers player since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003, and Kessler joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in team history to make at least 12 shots in a game without a miss.

Doncic runs the game

Doncic led the Lakers with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in 30 minutes. He scored 13 points in the first quarter, traded words with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg in the second, then banked in a shot from half court at the halftime buzzer to put Los Angeles up 66-52. Austin Reaves added 23 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. The Lakers shot 58.2 percent from the field, led by as many as 35 points, and scored 25 points off 16 Golden State turnovers. Los Angeles played without Collin Sexton, Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr.

Curry starts hot, then Golden State fades

Stephen Curry scored 16 of his 23 points in the first quarter, a period with eight lead changes and 10 ties, and the Warriors trailed by only one point, 34-33, after 12 minutes. After that the game turned. Golden State scored 19 points in the second quarter and 16 in the third, and coach Steve Kerr emptied his bench early in the fourth. Lendeborg, the 11th pick in this year's draft, scored 12 points in his debut and picked up a technical foul for the second quarter exchange with Doncic. The Warriors played without Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Charles Bassey, all hurt, and Kristaps Porzingis, who is not with the team.

What comes next

Los Angeles is 1-0 and Golden State is 0-1. Both teams play their second game on Friday, October 23, when the Lakers host the LA Clippers and the Warriors host the Memphis Grizzlies.