RECAP (Preseason): Lakers Defeat Golden State Warriors, 126-116
Austin Reaves led the Lakers to their first win of the preseason against the Warriors on Sunday night.
The Lakers put together their best game of the preseason so far, thanks to a great first half that had them up by 17 at halftime.
Despite Golden State and L.A. both resting some of their stars, the Lakers are starting to look more comfortable and are shaking off some of the offseason rust. The shotmaking was clicking for L.A., shooting 53.8% from the field and 44.4% from three.
The Lakers’ Standout Performers
Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart were ruled out for Sunday night’s matchup at Crypto.com Arena shortly before tipoff, though both are expected to play in two of the three remaining preseason games. Leading L.A. tonight was Austin Reaves, scoring 21 points in 23 minutes on 7-10 shooting.
Rui Hachimura had 16 points on 6-10 from the field. DeAndre Ayton made 6 of his 8 attempts, scoring 14 points in addition to his 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a block.
Ayton, in the postgame interview with Spectrum SportsNet, said:
”I’m just trying to let the world know and the league know that I’m the Lakers center and anchor of this defense.
Dalton Knecht earned the starting spot tonight at shooting guard and scored 16 points.
Off the bench, Gabe Vincent gave L.A. a spark with 13 points and 4 rebounds, along with Jake LaRavia, who dropped 11 points with 5 assists.
Takeaways
DeAndre Ayton fits like a glove. His rebounding and presence in the paint are what were sorely missed for this team after last year’s trade deadline. His midrange game and ability to roll to the rim are going to be deadly when he and Doncic share the floor.
Coming off of his best season yet, Austin Reaves is looking even more polished as a player, especially as a shot creator. His confidence grows every year and looks more than ready to help Luka lead this team during LeBron’s absence.
Taking care of the basketball remains a big issue for L.A., but it’s still preseason. There is still time to clean up the turnovers before the regular season begins. The Lakers and Warriors each totaled 20 turnovers tonight.
The Lakers continue the preseason against the Suns on Tuesday, October 14th, in Phoenix, and on Wednesday in Las Vegas vs the Mavericks.
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