The Los Angeles Lakers unleashed a prolific start to the post-LeBron James era after dismantling the Golden State Warriors in a 127-105 blowout on Wednesday, while rewriting the history books along the way.
Taking the helm as the new face of the Purple and Gold, Luka Doncic printed his name all over the floor after tallying 28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in under 30 minutes.
After jawing back and forth with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg in the opening half, Doncic banked in a half-court buzzer-beater to cap off a 32-19 second quarter and pull away from the Dubs.
“I think in the first quarter our defense wasn’t that good, but then after that we just locked in, and I think everybody had fun,” Doncic said.
Walker Kessler Notches Historic Debut for Lakers
Following a lucrative sign-and-trade deal in the offseason, the Lakers may have found their center for the future in Walker Kessler following a historic NBA performance in his first game with the franchise.
Kessler recorded a near double-double with 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks while making all 12 field-goal attempts, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in team history to record a perfect night on 12 or more attempts.
The 7-foot-2 big also became the first player in Lakers history to record 10 dunks in a single game since Shaquille O’Neal in 2003.
Meanwhile, Austin Reaves tallied 23 points and 6 assists, while Quentin Grimes sparked the bench in his debut with 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Warriors Struggle as Key Players Sidelined
Golden State, meanwhile, opened the season battling the injury bug, missing the services of Brandin Podziemski, who is nursing back soreness and missed the opener after playing all 82 games last year.
Moreover, the Warriors will also need to progress this year sans big man Kristaps Porzingis, who is reportedly contemplating his future in basketball after being diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Despite Stephen Curry tallying a team-high 23 points to open his 17th campaign, the Warriors failed to find their stroke after shooting an abysmal 8-of-36 from deep.
The Lakers will look to make it two in a row against their city rivals, the LA Clippers, on Saturday, while Golden State will look to notch its first win against the Memphis Grizzlies on the same day.
