The Lakers played this one short-handed, holding out Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler on zero rest after a trip to Sacramento two nights earlier. Golden State led from the opening minutes and built the margin to 38 points, turning a string of unanswered runs into a 98-124 final.
The Runs That Buried Them
Golden State never trailed and the game never saw a tie. An 8-0 run in the first quarter put the Lakers behind for good, and two second-quarter runs, 9-0 then 10-0, stretched that gap to 53-81 by halftime. Stephen Curry needed only 14 minutes for 16 points, and Yaxel Lendeborg added 17 points and 9 rebounds as the lead swelled to 38. A fourth-quarter 10-0 Warriors run pushed it further before Cole Swider's pull-up three capped a garbage-time 10-0 answer that set the final margin at 98-124.
Grading the Rotation
Mamukelashvili's 15 points led every Laker, but his minus-20 made it a mixed line: a strong shooting night inside a lopsided score. Dalton Knecht was the only Laker to finish in the plus column, a plus-3 in 22 minutes on 11 points, the clearest positive mark of the night. Quentin Grimes and Jake LaRavia matched the game's worst figure at minus-24 apiece; Grimes shot 3-of-8, while LaRavia's three steals and a block couldn't offset the deficit around him. The bench outscored the starters 51-47, a number that reflects who was on the floor more than any real progress.
What the Schedule Cost
This was the second night of a true back-to-back, zero rest days before tip-off, and Silver Screen and Roll reported the Lakers rested nearly their whole regular rotation for it. The closing lineup, AK Okereke, Chris Manon, Swider, Knecht and William Kyle, was built entirely from reserves and two-way hopefuls. The Lakers get two days before the rematch: the same Kings club they beat 127-103 three days earlier visits Crypto.com Arena on October 8, this time with the regulars expected back.
What was the final score of the Lakers-Warriors preseason game?
Golden State won 124-98, building a 38-point lead that the Lakers never threatened to erase.
Why didn't Luka Doncic play against the Warriors?
The game was the second leg of a back-to-back with zero rest days, and Silver Screen and Roll reported the Lakers rested nearly their entire rotation, including Doncic, Reaves and Kessler.
