The Lakers played their preseason opener at Sacramento without Walker Kessler and Austin Reaves, and it barely mattered. A reserve corps outscored the regulars 69-58, turning a 22-0 second-quarter run into a 127-103 win that said more about depth than about the stars.
The Run That Decided It
The Lakers already led 40-30 early in the second quarter when they ripped off twenty-two unanswered points, turning that cushion into a 62-32 lead in the span of five minutes. The quarter alone went 37-19 in Los Angeles' favor, and the final tally read 127-103, with the bench outscoring the starters 69 to 58. Cameron Carr led all reserves with 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench, with Quentin Grimes adding 16, Ziaire Williams 13, and Jaden Hardy 8 off the bench as well.
Grading a Shorthanded Night
Walker Kessler and Austin Reaves both sat out, leaving extra minutes for the second unit, and the plus-minus board rewarded it: Jake LaRavia posted a plus-27 in 21 minutes, Adou Thiero a plus-21 in 17, and Kevon Looney a plus-13 in 18, the three best marks on either roster. LaRavia backed his number with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting and two steals. Doncic's own line was mixed: 21 points on 5-for-12 shooting with five turnovers in just 16 minutes, a plus-12 that flattered a shaky stretch. Jarred Vanderbilt was the only Laker in the red, a minus-3 in 11 minutes, with Chris Manon and Dalton Knecht each at a modest plus-2.
Up Next: Golden State
The Lakers play at Golden State tonight, the first of two preseason meetings with the Warriors before the two clubs open the regular season against each other on October 21. Kessler and Reaves remain day-to-day, along with Collin Sexton and Arthur Kaluma, with the team's own estimate pointing to a possible return as soon as today. Golden State, which went 37-45 a year ago, is missing Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody to knee injuries of its own. For JJ Redick, Sacramento's bench numbers are an early answer to the rotation questions that have followed camp all month.
Why did the Lakers bench outscore the starters against Sacramento?
Walker Kessler and Austin Reaves both missed the preseason opener, and reserves Cameron Carr, Jake LaRavia, Chris Manon and Jaden Hardy combined to outscore the starting group 69-58 during a decisive 22-0 second-quarter run.
Does the Lakers' preseason win over the Kings mean anything for the regular season?
Not in the standings: the Lakers are 0-0 since no regular-season games have been played, and the 127-103 win counts mainly as evidence for JJ Redick's rotation decisions before the October 21 opener against Golden State.
