Guard Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reqacts after a foul by forward Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors as guard Brandon Williams #12 of the Golden State Warriors tries seperate in the first half of a NBA playoff basketball game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Guard Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reqacts after a foul by forward Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors as guard Brandon Williams #12 of the Golden State Warriors tries seperate in the first half of a NBA playoff basketball game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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LOS ANGELES – Yaxel Lendeborg attempted to distract Lakers star Luka Doncic on a half-court Hail Mary to end the half, but his fly-by had little effect.
Doncic buried the shot over the Warriors forward and immediately turned to talk trash. The talkative rookie attempted to answer, but teammate Gui Santos and a host of vets quickly separated the two.
What Doncic said could not be heard above the din of a delirious Lakers crowd at Crypto Arena on Wednesday night, but the message probably went something like this: “Welcome to the pros.”
The rookie out of Michigan has gained a reputation as a prolific trash-talker and celebrator of his best plays during a preseason where he averaged 15.6 points per game, but the Lakers superstar emphatically depicted that there were, indeed, levels to it as the Warriors fell 127-105 in their season-opening game.
Early on, it looked like Steph Curry would be the story of the night. He scored 16 of the team’s first 21 points, his right ankle looking healthy as could be.
Curry cooled off but still finished with 23 points for a shorthanded Warriors side missing Brandin Podziemski (back) and Charles Bassey (knee). Meanwhile, Lendeborg scored 12 and the speedy Brandon Williams put in 14 off the bench.
Doncic scored 28, 20 in the first half, and took joy in responding to Lendeborg’s verbal challenges. The back-and-forth began in earnest with 2:28 left in the first half. Doncic got Lendeborg to bite on a pump fake, spun around, and began clapping with glee.
Lendeborg later received his first career technical foul a few possessions later, and he responded by clapping some more. Both parties clapped, but only the Lakers seemed to have any fun during the applause.
The Lakers led 66-52 at halftime and cruised to the easy victory. The Warriors scored 33 points in the first quarter, but combined to put up just 33 in the second and third quarters combined. Their largest deficit was 34.
The Warriors (0-1) have one day to recover before paying their home opener against the Grizzlies.
Centers a big problem
With Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely and Charles Bassey ruled out with right knee tendinitis, the Warriors’ center depth was reduced to Draymond Green, Al Horford and Graham Ike.
Ike did not play till late, and the veterans did not exactly cover themselves in glory. Horford and Green combined for two points and eight rebounds.
They faced a difficult first test: the 7-foot-1 Walker Kessler. A former high school teammate of Will Richard at Georgia’s Woodward Academy, the Lakers center scored 26 points and shot a perfect 12 for 12 on a buffet of dunks and easy shots at the rim. He also grabbed nine rebounds.
He also blocked two shots and committed a single foul, becoming an effective rim protector against a Warriors side lacking real attacking threats.
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers
The Warriors had seven turnovers in the third quarter, each giveaway contributing to a manageable deficit ballooning into a rout.
Kerr and team management had harped on turnovers as the point of emphasis for the team. For at least one game, their words appeared to fall on deaf ears.
After De’Anthony Melton’s giveaway resulted in two easy Laker fast-break points, Kerr’s face turned red as he sprinted off the bench to call timeout.
The Lakers scored 25 points off 16 Warriors turnovers.