Austin Reaves scored 28 and built the Lakers a 20-point cushion in the first half, while Walker Kessler made his preseason debut look just as easy at the other end, finishing plus-15 in his first minutes as a Laker. Both nights got buried in the box score when Golden State closed the preseason finale with a 29-13 fourth quarter to win, 101-89.
The Lead Slips Away
Los Angeles built this one with a 34-21 second quarter that pushed the margin to 20 points, its biggest lead of the night, after a back-and-forth start that saw 7 lead changes and 5 ties. Golden State answered by out-scoring the Lakers 22-13 in the third and 29-13 in the fourth, turning that cushion into a 101-89 final. Austin Reaves kept shooting through the collapse, finishing 10 for 18 from the field and 4 for 7 from three for 28 points, but his seven turnovers in 25 minutes were part of the problem too.
Kessler's First Night
Kessler made his preseason debut look like the answer to the Lakers' center problem: four for six from the field, 11 points, 9 rebounds and a block in 16 minutes, good for a plus-15 that led both rosters. Call it an A- debut. Reaves gets a B for the box score — 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting with 7 assists — and a lower mark for the seven turnovers that came with it. Sandro Mamukelashvili also earns a B, adding 10 points and 7 rebounds on 4-for-7 shooting, including two threes, in 21 minutes off the bench.
Bench Math, Opener Looms
The math still favored Golden State: the Lakers' starters scored 56 points to the bench's 29, and the group that finished the game — Okereke, Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy and Rafael Castro — couldn't hold the line. James finished at minus-18, Chris Manon at minus-16 and Castro at minus-13, the three worst marks in the building. Los Angeles gets three days before hosting the Nuggets on Oct. 16 in the preseason finale, then opens the regular season against this same Golden State team on Oct. 21.
Who led the Lakers in the loss to the Warriors?
Austin Reaves led the way with 28 points, 7 assists and 4-of-7 shooting from three in 25 minutes.
How did Walker Kessler play in his Lakers debut?
Kessler finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds and a block on 4-of-6 shooting in 16 minutes, posting a plus-15 that was the best mark in the game.
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Around the beat · Tue, Oct 13JJ Redick Hasn't Named a Starter, But Walker Kessler Already Knows His Job
Postgame · Thu, Oct 8A 19-Point Lead, a Kings Rally, and Luka's Receipts in a 114-110 Squeaker
Postgame · Tue, Oct 6Buried by a 38-Point Hole, the Lakers' Reserves Fought Alone
Postgame · Mon, Oct 5The Bench Answers First While Kessler and Reaves Wait