Luka Doncic Leads Lakers Past Warriors in Season Opener
The star guard shined in his debut as the team's new leader following a heated exchange with a Golden State rookie.
The Los Angeles Lakers officially entered a new era on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena, securing a commanding 127-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors in their regular-season opener. With LeBron James having departed for the Philadelphia 76ers over the summer after eight seasons in Los Angeles, the franchise is now firmly under the leadership of star guard Luka Doncic.
Doncic wasted no time taking command, delivering a stellar performance of 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. His night also featured a memorable second-quarter confrontation with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. After drawing a foul from the newcomer, Doncic and Lendeborg exchanged words, leading to a technical foul for the rookie and an extra competitive gear from the Slovenian star.
Before the half concluded, Doncic punctuated the sequence by hitting a dramatic half-court three-pointer near Lendeborg, extending the Lakers' lead to 66-52 at intermission. Despite the trash talk, Doncic avoided receiving a technical foul himself, noting his conscious effort to control his temper this season after accumulating 16 technicals last year.
Lendeborg expressed frustration regarding Doncic's demeanor on the court following the game. Meanwhile, new Lakers forward Ziaire Williams—who previously had his own fiery altercation with Doncic in March when Williams played for the Nets—praised the rookie for accepting the challenge. "It's a lot better when you're on his side than the other side, for sure," Williams remarked. "Shout out to him for not backing down."
Doncic received substantial support from his new teammates, most notably debutant Walker Kessler. Kessler delivered a historic performance by scoring 26 points on a flawless 12-for-12 shooting night, grabbing nine rebounds, and blocking two shots. Ten of his field goals came via dunks, setting an NBA record for the most points without a missed field goal in a team debut during the shot clock era.
Austin Reaves also contributed significantly to the blowout win, adding 23 points and six assists. Despite missing several players due to injuries—including Collin Sexton, Adou Thiero, Cameron Carr, and Jake LaRavia, who left late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury—the Lakers easily cruised to victory to start the new campaign.