The Los Angeles Lakers just kicked off their season with a wild ride against the Golden State Warriors, giving up a staggering 33 points in the first quarter before slamming the defensive door shut. They held Golden State to a mere 35 points over the *next two periods* combined and ended up with a dominant 127-105 win. This defensive turnaround, especially after that shaky start, has everyone talking, and it has Luka Dončić feeling pretty good about what this team can do.
The Defensive Clamp Down That Saved the Game
Seriously, after that first quarter, you had to wonder what was going on. But the Lakers flipped a switch and went into full lockdown mode, allowing only 35 points over the entire second and third quarters. That’s absolutely bonkers! By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, they were up 102-68, a lead they definitely earned. According to Cleaning the Glass, which filters out all that garbage time and didn’t even count the final 6:04, the Lakers pulled off a 96.5 defensive rating for the game. Get this: that 96.5 would have been their sixth-best mark all of last season, including the playoffs! Last year, they didn’t even dip below a 100.0 defensive rating until their 14th game in mid-November. That’s a huge jump to kick off a new season.
Luka Dončić himself told reporters that “the main thing was just staying solid.” He pinpointed Steph Curry getting “four or five cuts on back doors in the first quarter,” saying they needed to get “on the low side and then pursue, pursue.” He knows what this team is capable of, adding, “I think we have great potential defensively.” He said they “implemented some key tweaks” after that rough first quarter and executed them flawlessly, “to right the ship with a stingy performance the next 24 minutes.” The team didn’t overreact, they just “changed a couple of things and then stuck to it.” That’s the kind of composure you want to see.
Kessler’s Perfect Debut and Halftime Fire-Up
While the defense was the main story, we’ve gotta talk about Walker Kessler’s debut. The dude dropped 26 points on a perfect 12-of-12 shooting! A perfect night in your first game? You love to see it. At halftime, even with a 66-52 lead, it sounds like head coach JJ Redick wasn’t letting anyone off the hook. Kessler mentioned Redick “harped on refining a few areas during halftime,” specifically those “backdoor cuts.” Kessler put some of the blame on himself, saying, “From my own, I got to pressure the ball more. Draymond was picking us apart a little bit. So that’s on me.” But he also praised the effort, “our wing defenders, we really picked it up the second half, obviously. We looked like the defensive team that I know we can be in the second half.” They outscored Golden State 36-16 in the third quarter alone, propelling them to that massive 34-point lead heading into the fourth. That’s championship-level response right there.
What a way to start the season. If this team can bring that kind of defensive intensity consistently, especially after making quick adjustments, they are going to be a problem for every single team in the league. It’s early, but the potential is absolutely there.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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