Walker Kessler goes 12 for 12 in his Lakers debut and Luka Dončić scores 28 as Los Angeles routs the Warriors 127-105

Walker Kessler did not miss a shot in his first game with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 7-foot-2 center went 12 for 12 from the field for 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds Wednesday night as the Lakers opened the season with a 127-105 rout of the Golden State Warriors.

Luka Dončić scored 28 points with eight rebounds and seven assists in three quarters before sitting out the fourth. Austin Reaves added 23 points and six assists as the Lakers began their first season since LeBron James left for Philadelphia.

Stephen Curry led Golden State with 23 points to open his 18th season, 16 of them in the first quarter. The Warriors faded after halftime and trailed by as many as 35.

A night without a miss

Kessler had not played a competitive game since shoulder surgery last November. He slammed down a lob from Dončić on the opening possession and kept finishing passes all night. His 12 makes without a miss are the second most in Lakers history, behind only a 14-for-14 game by Wilt Chamberlain in March 1969. He also became the first Laker with 10 dunks in a game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003.

"Contrary to my name, I run a lot," Kessler joked afterward. Coach JJ Redick called the night a "great opening statement" from the big man the Lakers landed from Utah this summer.

Dončić promised the home crowd a "special season" in a pregame speech at center court. "It's a lot of honor to be the face of the franchise," he said after the game. "That's just the first game. I think our ceiling is even higher."

Dončić vs. the rookie

The game turned chippy in the second quarter. Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, the 11th overall pick making his first start, guarded Dončić for long stretches and the two jawed back and forth. Lendeborg drew a technical foul for what he said. Dončić then banked in a shot from beyond half court at the halftime buzzer and pointed at the rookie.

Lendeborg did not back down afterward. "Being in it firsthand and seeing all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect," he said of Dončić. Dončić said he was not trying to talk back. "This season, I'm not trying to get techs," he said.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the technical on his rookie was "ridiculous" and that Dončić's celebration should have drawn one too. Draymond Green backed the rookie and said Lendeborg should go right back at Dončić the next time they meet.

Up next

Golden State played without Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski. The Warriors host Memphis on Friday. The Lakers host the Clippers the same night. The Lakers and Warriors meet again Oct. 30 in San Francisco.