Lakers dominate Warriors in season opener behind Kessler's perfect shooting
Walker Kessler shot 12-for-12 for 26 points as the Lakers routed the Warriors in their season opener.
The Lakers beat the Warriors 127-105 on Wednesday night in a season opener to forget. Steph Curry scored 23 points and looked sharp in the Warriors' new offensive system, but it made no difference once he sat down.
The Warriors' bench players struggled without him. The new system did not make up for their lack of quality playmakers off the bench.
Walker Kessler, the Lakers' 7-foot-2 centre, was unstoppable. He finished a perfect 12-for-12 from the field for 26 points with nine rebounds, the most dunks by a Lakers player since prime Shaquille O'Neal.
The Warriors shot just 41 per cent overall and 22 per cent from three, with 16 turnovers. Without injured centre Kristaps Porzingis, the Warriors had no answer for the Lakers' size inside.
- Lakers 127, Warriors 105
- Final score
- 12-for-12, 26 points
- Kessler shooting
- 23
- Curry points
- 7-foot-2
- Kessler height
Why it mattersThe Warriors' new system cannot fix a deeper problem: they lack depth and shooting when their star sits out, a gap that will haunt them all season.
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