The Los Angeles Lakers opened their season series against Golden State in emphatic fashion, beating the Warriors 127-105 at home on Wednesday night.
The first quarter gave little hint of what was coming. Los Angeles led 34-33 after twelve minutes, with both teams trading baskets. Then the game broke open. The Lakers outscored the Warriors 32-19 in the second quarter and delivered the knockout blow in the third, winning it 36-16 to build a lead that peaked at 35 points.
Walker Kessler dominated inside, scoring 26 points on a perfect 12-of-12 from the field and grabbing nine rebounds. Austin Reaves added 23 points, including 10-of-10 at the free-throw line, along with six assists. As a team, Los Angeles shot 56.8 percent, scored 66 points in the paint and made 21 fast-break points.
A good night in LA π https://t.co/qrl1ROBwWs
β Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 22, 2026
Golden State never found its rhythm from the perimeter, hitting just 8 of 36 three-pointers (22.2 percent). Stephen Curry scored 23 points but made only two of his seven attempts from deep. Draymond Green handed out eight assists but scored just two points and committed four turnovers. Brandon Williams led the bench with 14 points, though he needed 12 shots to get there and made only three.
The Warriors showed some late fight, outscoring Los Angeles 37-25 in the fourth quarter and pulling down 15 offensive rebounds, but the game was long decided by then.
The two rivals meet again on October 30 in San Francisco, where Golden State will look to answer.
