Guard Luka Dončić delivered a dominant debut in second season as a Laker dropping 43 points, but the Lakers were no match for the Golden State Warriors who won 119-10 Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
With forward LeBron James only watching from the sidelines due to sciatica, Dončić led the team in points, rebounds and assists, hitting 17 of 27 from the field while not being denied inside the paint. He added 12 rebounds and nine assists, coming just one dime shy of a triple-double.
Dončić’s stellar performance couldn’t mask the Lakers’ familiar struggles — turnovers, defensive lapses, and a sluggish third quarter that shifted the momentum.
“The trend I see is that we continue to be a terrible third quarter team to start. That was last year, that was preseason. They’re not ready to play to start the third quarter,” head coach JJ Reddick said??
The Lakers trailed by just one at halftime, 55-54, after Dončić led a late first-half comeback capped by a deep 3-pointer over forward Jonathan Kuminga. But Golden State responded with 35 points in the third-quarter run powered by guards Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, who were flawless from the free-throw line with Butler going 16 for 16.
“The ability to get fouled, go to the line and settle the game down. He [Butler] never turns the ball over. He just controls the game out there for us and we need that,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said.
Curry finished the night with 23 points and four assists, hitting a clutch 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter that stopped a late Lakers rally. Despite falling behind by 16 in the fourth, the Lakers cut the deficit to six with just under four minutes left after a quick jumper from Dončić and a steal from guard Austin Reaves, who turned it into a layup. But Curry nailed a dagger 3-pointer from beyond the arc to put Golden State back up by nine, sealing the win.
The Warriors outscored the Lakers 30-29 in the final period, capitalizing on Los Angeles’ inconsistent bench production. Reaves and Center Deandre Ayton combined for 36 points, giving solid minutes, but the Lakers lacked the balanced scoring needed to match Golden State’s depth.
Golden State’s balance and execution held firm as the Warriors escaped with a win to spoil the Lakers’ season opener.
Dončić became one of only three players in franchise history to score more than 40 points in a season opener, joining Kobe Bryant and Elgin Baylor.
Los Angeles will look to bounce back in its next matchup this Friday against the Timberwolves at 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena.