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oct 22 2026The Lakers begin a new chapter in style. In their first official game without LeBron James since 2018, the Los Angeles team dominated the Golden State Warriors (105-127) with a trio combining for 77 points: Luka Dončić with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists; Walker Kessler with 26 points and a perfect 12-of-12 from the field; and Austin Reaves with 23 points and 6 assists. "This is going to be the beginning of a new era," Dončić said before the game.
Curry carries Warriors through one quarter
The good news for the Warriors was that Stephen Curry was able to play after the ankle sprain he suffered Sunday during the open practice. And he started as if nothing happened: he scored 16 points in the first quarter and kept the game tied, with ten ties and ten lead changes in the first half. The first quarter ended 33-34.
The game began to get out of hand in the second quarter. Golden State, without Jimmy Butler III, Kristaps Porziņģis, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Charles Bassey, had no answer when Curry rested. The Lakers ran the floor, with 15 fast-break points in the first half, and Kessler took over the paint. Two dunks from the center and a three-pointer from Dončić at the buzzer from deep range left it 52-66 at halftime.
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36-16 third quarter seals the deal
The third quarter was all Lakers. Los Angeles won the quarter 36-16, with Dončić and Kessler unstoppable, while the Warriors shot just 29 percent in the second half. By the end of the third quarter the lead was 34 points (68-102) and the game was decided. Golden State's bench made the final score look better in the fourth quarter (37-25), and the Crypto.com Arena crowd had time to celebrate the final minutes of Bronny James.
Curry finished with 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting, but added little after his hot start. For the Lakers, beyond the big three, Quentin Grimes and Jake LaRavia each scored 10 points.
