Golden State Warriors vs Lakers Match Player Stats and Game Highlights

The Golden State Warriors vs Lakers match player stats from the 2026-27 season opener tell the story of a lopsided night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers beat the Warriors 127-105 on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Walker Kessler made every shot he took in his Lakers debut, Luka Doncic poured in 28 points in three quarters, and Austin Reaves added 23 as the home team pulled away after halftime. Stephen Curry led Golden State with 23 points, but the Warriors shot just 8-of-36 from three and never held a lead larger than three points. This guide covers the final score, quarter-by-quarter scoring, a team stat comparison, individual performances on both rosters, the biggest highlights, injury news, and what the numbers mean before the rematch on October 30.

Final Score and Quick Summary

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 127-105 in the opening game of the 2026-27 NBA regular season for both teams. Kessler finished with 26 points on 12-for-12 shooting and nine rebounds in his first game for Los Angeles, while Doncic led all scorers with 28. The Lakers shot 56.8 percent from the field, built a lead as large as 35 points, and improved to 1-0, while the Warriors fell to 0-1.

The game also carried a new storyline for Los Angeles. The Lakers opened their first season after LeBron James’s exit with a blowout of the Warriors, while Curry scored 23 to begin his 18th season. James left for Philadelphia, leaving Doncic as the clear focal point of the Lakers’ offense.

Quarter-by-Quarter Scoring Breakdown

The Lakers won the game in the second and third quarters, outscoring Golden State 68-35 across those two periods. The first quarter stayed close, with Los Angeles holding a 34-33 edge after 12 minutes. From there, the Warriors’ offense stalled.

• First quarter: Lakers 34, Warriors 33
• Second quarter: Lakers 32, Warriors 19 (halftime: Lakers 66-52)
• Third quarter: Lakers 36, Warriors 16 (end of third: Lakers 102-68)
• Fourth quarter: Warriors 37, Lakers 25 (final: Lakers 127-105)

The Warriors won the fourth quarter by 12 points, but that rally came with the game already decided and with Doncic resting. The 34-point cushion Los Angeles carried into the final period was the real verdict on the night.

Golden State Warriors vs Lakers Match Player Stats at a Glance

The top performers in this game came mostly from the Lakers, who had three players score 23 or more points. The table below lists the leading contributors from each team, based on the official box score data.

Player	Team	PTS	REB	AST	FG	3PT	FT	+/-
Luka Doncic	LAL	28	8	7	7-18	5-12	9-9	+31
Walker Kessler	LAL	26	9	1	12-12	0-0	2-4	+24
Austin Reaves	LAL	23	4	6	6-11	1-3	10-10	+25
Jake LaRavia	LAL	10	2	2	4-5	2-3	0-0	+14
Ziaire Williams	LAL	9	3	4	4-7	1-2	0-0	+12
Stephen Curry	GSW	23	2	1	7-15	2-7	7-7	-22
Brandon Williams	GSW	14	4	3	3-12	1-3	7-7	-7
Yaxel Lendeborg	GSW	12	3	2	5-11	1-4	1-3	-21
Gary Payton II	GSW	10	1	0	5-9	0-3	0-0	-18
LJ Cryer	GSW	9	1	3	3-6	2-4	1-2	+10

The plus-minus column shows how clearly the Lakers’ starters controlled the action. Doncic finished at +31, the best mark on the floor, while Curry and Draymond Green each finished at -22.

Team Stats Comparison

The Lakers beat the Warriors in nearly every efficiency category, led by a 15.5-point edge in field goal percentage. Golden State won a few hustle categories, such as offensive rebounds, steals, and bench scoring, but those advantages could not offset its poor shooting.

Category	Warriors	Lakers
Field goals	38-92 (41.3%)	46-81 (56.8%)
Three-pointers	8-36 (22.2%)	11-28 (39.3%)
Free throws	21-27 (77.8%)	24-27 (88.9%)
True shooting %	50.5%	68.4%
Total rebounds	46	53
Offensive rebounds	15	10
Assists	25	28
Steals	15	11
Turnovers	16	18
Points in the paint	56	66
Fast break points	17	21
Second chance points	20	15
Bench points	56	38
Biggest lead	3	35

Two numbers stand out. First, the Lakers posted a true shooting percentage of 68.4, an elite mark for any NBA team over a full game. Second, Golden State’s bench outscored the Lakers’ reserves 56-38, which shows the Warriors’ starters struggled far more than their depth players did.

Los Angeles Lakers Player Performances

The Lakers got star production from three players and steady support from a deep rotation. Each of the top three scorers attacked the Warriors in a different way, which made the offense hard to guard.

Walker Kessler: A Perfect Debut

Walker Kessler gave the most efficient performance of the night, finishing with 26 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks on 12-of-12 shooting. Every one of his field goals came inside the paint, and he finished plays at the rim off lobs, putbacks, and transition runs. His 12 makes without a miss rank second in franchise history behind a 14-for-14 game by Wilt Chamberlain in March 1969, which puts his debut in rare company. For context on that record, the Wilt Chamberlain biography covers the Hall of Famer’s legendary scoring seasons, including his years with the Lakers.

Kessler’s only blemishes came at the free-throw line, where he went 2-of-4. He still posted a +24 rating and gave the Lakers a true rim protector and lob target next to Doncic.

Luka Doncic: 28 Points in Three Quarters

Luka Doncic led all scorers with 28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals while hitting 5 of 12 three-point attempts and all 9 of his free throws. He did not need the fourth quarter. He scored 23 points before halftime while trading words and physical play with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who drew a technical foul during their exchanges.

Doncic did turn the ball over 6 times, the highest total of any player in the game. His shooting inside the arc was also uneven at 2-of-6. Still, his +31 rating shows how much the Lakers controlled the game with him on the floor.

Austin Reaves: Efficient Scoring at the Line

Austin Reaves scored 23 points on 6-of-11 shooting and went a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line. He also added 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block. Reaves drew 6 fouls and kept the pressure on Golden State’s perimeter defenders all night, finishing at +25.

Lakers Supporting Cast

The Lakers’ role players filled their spots without forcing anything. Jake LaRavia scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, Ziaire Williams added 9 points and 4 assists, and Sandro Mamukelashvili chipped in 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Matisse Thybulle contributed 3 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, and a block in a defensive role.

Golden State Warriors Player Performances

The Warriors leaned on Stephen Curry and their bench, but poor three-point shooting sank the entire roster. Golden State took 36 threes and made only 8, a rate far below what this franchise usually needs to win.

Stephen Curry Leads Golden State

Stephen Curry scored a team-high 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including 2-of-7 from deep and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. He added 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Curry did his best work attacking closeouts, scoring 8 of his points in the paint, but the Lakers’ defense kept him from getting hot from long range.

Draymond Green and the Frontcourt

Draymond Green ran much of the offense, finishing with 8 assists, 4 rebounds, a steal, and a block. His scoring stayed quiet at 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting, and he committed 4 turnovers. Al Horford went 0-of-3, all from three, while grabbing 4 rebounds and handing out 2 assists. The Warriors had no answer for Kessler around the basket.

Bench and Young Players

Golden State’s reserves gave the team its best energy. Brandon Williams scored 14 points and made all 7 of his free throws, though he shot 3-of-12 from the field. Gary Payton II added 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting, LJ Cryer scored 9 with 3 assists, and Graham Ike and Will Richard each scored 8. Richard was especially active on the glass with 4 offensive rebounds.

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting with 3 rebounds and 2 assists. His matchup with Doncic became one of the most talked-about moments of the night, although the technical foul and a -21 rating made it a tough debut.

Game Highlights and Turning Points

The decisive stretch came in the second and third quarters, when the Lakers turned a one-point lead into a 34-point advantage. Several moments shaped that run.

The Second-Quarter Separation

The Lakers held the Warriors to 19 points in the second quarter and took a 66-52 halftime lead. Doncic’s scoring and his running exchange with Lendeborg set the tone, and the Lakers converted Golden State misses into fast break chances. Los Angeles finished the game with 21 fast break points on 10-of-12 shooting in transition.

The Third-Quarter Knockout

The Lakers won the third quarter 36-16, the most lopsided period of the game. Kessler kept finishing in the paint, Reaves kept getting to the line, and the Warriors kept missing from outside. By the end of the quarter, the score read 102-68.

Paint Dominance

Los Angeles scored 66 points in the paint and shot 78.8 percent on attempts at the rim. Kessler accounted for 24 of those paint points himself. That interior control forced Golden State to win from three, and the Warriors could not do it.

Injuries and Absences That Shaped the Game

The Lakers won comfortably despite missing two players and losing a third late in the game. Los Angeles played without new guard Collin Sexton because of a calf issue and first-round pick Cameron Carr because of an oblique injury, and LaRavia limped off in the fourth quarter.

Reports after the game suggested LaRavia appeared to roll his ankle, which raised concerns about the Lakers’ depth on the wing. Lakers fans should watch his status before the next meeting, since he gave the team efficient minutes in this game.

A Rivalry With Deep Roots

The Lakers and Warriors have one of the longest-running rivalries in the Western Conference, stretching back more than 75 years. The Warriors entered the NBA in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors, and the Lakers arrived in 1948 as the Minneapolis Lakers. The teams first played on November 28, 1948, a game the Lakers won 88-67. You can read the full history, including every playoff series, on the Lakers-Warriors rivalry page.

The rivalry has produced plenty of postseason drama. Most recently, the Lakers beat the Warriors 4-2 in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals. That series matched James and Anthony Davis against Curry and Green, and this opener showed how much both rosters have changed since then. If you enjoy the personal side of the league, our NBA family stories look at the people behind well-known players.

The modern version of this rivalry centers on Doncic and Curry, two of the most creative offensive players in basketball. Their duels give fans a reason to tune in even during the regular season. For more personal background on public figures across sports and entertainment, browse our celebrity and athlete profiles.

What the Numbers Mean for the October 30 Rematch

The rematch arrives quickly, and the Warriors need better shooting and stronger interior defense to change the result. The two teams meet again on October 30, 2026, in a 2026 NBA Cup game, with Golden State hosting in San Francisco at 7:00 p.m. Pacific time.

Three stat lines will decide whether Golden State can flip the outcome:

1. Three-point percentage. The Warriors shot 22.2 percent from deep. Even an average night would add 10 or more points to their total.
2. Paint defense. Kessler went 12-of-12, and the Lakers scored 66 paint points. Golden State needs better rim protection and help defense.
3. Turnover pressure. The Warriors forced 18 turnovers and recorded 15 steals, which shows their defense can create chances. Turning those chances into more points will matter.

For the Lakers, the questions center on health and ball security. Doncic’s 6 turnovers and LaRavia’s ankle are the two items to watch. Since the opener, the Warriors have also played Memphis, Phoenix, and Denver, so their form entering the rematch will look different from opening night.

Conclusion

The Golden State Warriors vs Lakers match player stats from October 21, 2026, show a Lakers team that controlled the game through efficiency, paint scoring, and star power. Walker Kessler’s perfect 12-of-12 debut, Luka Doncic’s 28 points, and Austin Reaves’s 23 points powered a 127-105 win, while Stephen Curry’s 23 points could not cover for Golden State’s 8-of-36 night from three. The Warriors showed positive signs from their bench and on defense, forcing 18 turnovers, but they will need far better shooting when the teams meet again on October 30. For both fan bases, this opener set a clear marker for the season ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the latest Warriors vs Lakers game?

The Los Angeles Lakers won the latest meeting 127-105 on October 21, 2026, in the season opener for both teams. Los Angeles led by as many as 35 points, shot 56.8 percent from the field, and controlled the game after a close first quarter that ended 34-33.

Who was the top scorer in the Warriors vs Lakers game?

Luka Doncic was the top scorer with 28 points, adding 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals while scoring all of his points in three quarters. Walker Kessler scored 26 on perfect 12-of-12 shooting, Austin Reaves added 23, and Stephen Curry led Golden State with 23 points.

How did Stephen Curry play against the Lakers?

Stephen Curry scored a team-high 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including 2-of-7 from three and a perfect 7-of-7 at the free-throw line. He also posted 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals, though Golden State was outscored by 22 points while he played.

When do the Warriors and Lakers play next?

The Warriors and Lakers meet again on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Pacific time, with Golden State hosting the game in San Francisco. The matchup is part of the 2026 NBA Cup schedule, giving the Warriors a quick chance to respond to their opening-night loss.

Why did the Warriors lose to the Lakers?

The Warriors lost mainly because of poor outside shooting and weak interior defense. Golden State made only 8 of 36 three-point attempts (22.2 percent), while the Lakers scored 66 points in the paint and shot 56.8 percent overall. A 36-16 third quarter for Los Angeles turned the game into a rout.