Skip to article
The Sporting Page Real Analysis. Not Corporate

NBA

Walker Kessler makes Lakers preseason debut as Doncic rests

Kessler finishes with 11 points and nine rebounds in the Lakers’ 101–89 loss to Golden State in Las Vegas.

By TSP Staff
Walker Kessler during his Auburn career in January 2022. File photograph.
Walker Kessler during his Auburn career in January 2022. File photograph. · Credit: Gamecock Central / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Walker Kessler recorded 11 points and nine rebounds in his Los Angeles Lakers preseason debut Tuesday, playing the first half of a 101–89 loss to the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Kessler shot 4-for-6 and added one block and one steal in just under 16 minutes, according to the NBA box score. Austin Reaves led Los Angeles with 28 points and seven assists.

The appearance was Kessler’s first NBA game in 347 days after shoulder surgery ended his final season with Utah. He joined the Lakers in an offseason sign-and-trade but missed their first three exhibitions after jamming his left pinkie finger during training camp.

Luka Doncic sat out for rest. Coach JJ Redick said Doncic was not injured, while Kessler described his own earlier absence as precautionary. Los Angeles outscored Golden State by 15 while Kessler was on the court. The Lakers open the regular season against the Warriors on October 22.

Sources and notes

  1. https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2026-10-13/lakers-report-tuesday-vs-warriors-in-las-vegas
  2. Photograph: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Walker_Kessler.jpg
  3. Image licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0