The Los Angeles Lakers faced the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, marking a notable moment as center Walker Kessler made his preseason debut. Despite the team's 101-89 loss, Kessler’s performance offered a glimpse of promise for the Lakers ahead of the regular season.

Kessler, who was the Lakers’ most significant acquisition this summer, started and contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, one blocked shot, and one steal over 16 minutes. He immediately made an impact by securing a defensive rebound early in the first quarter, setting up the Lakers’ offense. He followed that with a pair of layups, demonstrating his scoring ability inside the paint. Defensively, Kessler showcased his shot-blocking skills with a rejected attempt against Warriors center Charles Bassey, and he finished the play with a powerful dunk off an offensive rebound.

While Kessler adjusted to playing against smaller, faster opponents—such as guarding 6-foot-2 Gary Payton II in Golden State’s small-ball lineups—he maintained a solid defensive presence despite the challenge. The Lakers typically prefer Kessler protecting the rim, but this preseason test on the perimeter yielded encouraging results.

Forward Austin Reaves carried a heavy offensive load in the absence of Luka Doncic, who sat out with a planned rest night. Reaves scored 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including four three-pointers, and contributed seven assists and four rebounds. However, handling increased ball control also led to seven turnovers for Reaves. Lakers coach JJ Redick emphasized that Doncic’s rest was precautionary, with no injury reported.

The Lakers have now suffered two preseason defeats to Golden State, while claiming wins against the Sacramento Kings in their other outings. They are scheduled for one more preseason game on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena before opening the regular season at home against the Warriors on October 21.

Redick noted the team’s focus remains on incremental improvement rather than using the game as a full dress rehearsal. “We want to get healthy, get better, build fitness and find rhythm,” he said. The coach also highlighted ongoing availability concerns, citing that rookie Cameron Carr, guard Collin Sexton (lower leg), and forwards Ziaire Williams (right foot contusion) and Adou Thiero (undisclosed) remain day-to-day with injuries.