Warriors down Lakers in opener despite Doncic’s near triple-double

LOS ANGELES — With LeBron James watching from the bench, the Los Angeles Lakers tried, but simply did not have enough to delight the home fans with a season-opening win over the Golden State Warriors on opening night.

On a night when the Warriors, Los Angeles’ biggest rivals over the last decade, got contributions from role players like Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, the Lakers failed to generate enough offense from players not named Luka Dončić.

So, in the end, the Lakers dropped their season opener, 119-109, and now face a tough stretch ahead, as James nurses a sciatica issue that will sideline him for at least another week-and-a-half.

Dončić finished one assist shy of a triple-double, pouring in a game high 43 points on 17-of-27 shooting, and adding 12 rebounds and 9 assissts. Guard Austin Reaves added 26 points, and center Deandre Ayton scored 10, but no other Laker reached double figures.

The Lakers struggled from deep, hitting just 8-of-32 (25%) shots from beyond the arc and committed 20 turnovers, limiting their offensive output.

The Warriors, meanwhile, were led by Jimmy Butler’s 31 points, while Stephen Curry (23), Kuminga (17) and Hield (17) each made timely baskets, especially from beyond the arc. The Warriors connected on 17-of-40 shots (42.5%) from 3-point range.

The Lakers erupted on a 15-5 run midway through the fourth quarter to eventually cut a double-digit Warriors lead to six points, but Golden State pulled away behind the clutch shot-making.

Next up, the Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, Oct. 24, while the Warriors will head home to face the Denver Nuggets Thursday, Oct. 23.

USA TODAY Sports had full coverage of the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors on NBA opening night. Scroll below for highlights.

Warriors vs. Lakers highlights

End Q3: Warriors 90, Lakers 79

Spirited in the second quarter, the Lakers looked listless in the third. They fell behind by 17 points after trailing by only a point at the half.

The Warriors walloped them at the opening of the second half with a 16-4 run, and the Lakers finally called a timeout with 8:45 left in the quarter after falling behind by 13 points.

So much for that timeout. The Warriors extended their lead to 17 points.

Only Luka Dončić kept the game from getting beyond embarrassing, scoring 13 points in the quarter as and Lakers once pulled within 10 to again wake up the crowd.

Dončić leads all scorers with 31 points, and while Jimmy Butler has 25 for the Warriors.

Warriors race out to 16-4 run to open second half

So much for that spirited L.A. run before the half.

The Lakers closed the gap late in the second quarter to enter intermission trailing by one point, but Golden State erupted out of the locker room, ripping off a 16-4 run to open the second half, building a 71-58 lead.

The Lakers continue to need more help from role players around Luka Dončić. He has all four Laker points in the period.

Halftime: Warriors 55, Lakers 54

A plodding game tightened up late in the second quarter and woke up the crowd. The Lakers gave them plenty to cheer, closing out the half with a 19-10 run. But Jimmy Butler subdued the hometown fans by making a pair of free throws with a second left to give the Warriors a one-point lead at halftime.

The final three Lakers shots in the quarter were 3-pointers, and they were 4-of-6 from 3-point range in the second quarter. The Lakers were down by as many as 10 points before briefly taking a one-point lead.

Luka Dončić led Los Angeles with 22 points in the first half, and Austin Reaves chipped in 12 points.

Butler led the Warriors with 17 points, but it was Steph Curry who sparked Golden State in the second quarter with 11 points after managing just three in the first.

Until their late surge, the Lakers, other than Dončić and Reaves, looked lackluster on offense – and only part of that can be attributed to the absence of LeBron James. Rui Hachimura, a capable scorer, was scoreless until burying two 3-pointers late. DeAndre Ayton, the center the Lakers acquired in the offseason, did not win over the crowd with his first half of play. He had four points and five rebounds in 17 minutes and showed a lack of aggression.

Draymond goads Lakers forward into technical foul

One quarter after Warriors forward Draymond Green was assessed for his first technical foul – coming at a time when he was on the bench – Green goaded Laker forward Jarred Vanderbilt into his own tech.

During a play in the second quarter, after a Los Angeles converted basket, Green gave Vanderbilt a light shove. Vanderbilt responded with a more forceful shove, which drew a whistle from the official.

Jimmy Butler converted the free throw.

END Q1: Warriors 28, Lakers 22

Turnovers and moments of disjointed play opened a path for Golden State to get open looks on the perimeter.

For the most part, Golden State tasked Kuminga on Dončić, though the Warriors also threw Jimmy Butler at him on switches. Then, when Butler took a quick blow on the bench, the Warriors dropped into a zone.

The Warriors used their perimeter defense – the Lakers shot just 1-of-9 (11.1%) from 3-point range – to push the pace in transition and find high-percentage shots.

Dončić led all Lakers players in the first quarter in points (10) and rebounds (5). The Lakers shot just 42.1% from the floor and struggled to build continuity because of turnovers; Los Angeles committed 9 giveaways in the period, yielding 9 points.

Golden State shot 5-of-10 (50%) from beyond the arc.

Warriors forward Draymond Green was called for his first technical foul of the season, when he was chirping on the bench during a loose ball. The NBA has made enforcement of player emotion a point of emphasis this season.

Vanessa and Natalia Bryant in attendance for Lakers opener

Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, and daughter Natalia are in attendance at Los Angeles’ opener Tuesday night at the Cyrpto.com Arena. They were shown briefly on the jumbotron right before tipoff.

Athletes in attendance included Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell, who will represent his team in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, and former NBA icon Dirk Nowitzki.

Married actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were shown on the jumbotron taking in the game courtside as well.

Luka Dončić debuts new-look physique

Luka Dončić is set to embark on his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers. And he’s set to do it with a slimmed-down physique.

After revealing over the summer in a Men’s Health cover story that he had trimmed down with a strict dietary regiment and workout schedule, Dončić took the floor here at the Crypto.com Arena for his typical pregame routine, donning a black hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants.

The Lakers will be asking Dončić to carry a heavy load early on; the team will be without star forward LeBron James, who will miss the first few weeks with a sciatica issue.

Perhaps because of James’ injury, it was Dončić who addressed the crowd here prior to tipoff.

“Hello, everyone, I just wanted to say thank you for the support, and let’s go Lakers,” Dončić said to a round of cheers.

What time does Warriors vs. Lakers game start?

The 2025-26 NBA season opener between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local) in Los Angeles.