LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Walker Kessler could not miss in his first game as a Laker, scoring 26 points on a perfect 12-for-12 shooting night with 10 dunks as the Los Angeles Lakers routed the Golden State Warriors 127-105 in their season opener Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena, according to game reports.
The opener was the Lakers' first game since LeBron James left for the Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason, according to Reuters.
Luka Doncic led Los Angeles with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, and Austin Reaves added 23 points, according to the box score.
A Perfect Night, a Wilt Mark, and a Shaq Mark
Kessler added nine rebounds and two blocks in just under 30 minutes, according to the box score.
His 12-for-12 night put him in rare company: he joined Wilt Chamberlain, who shot 14-for-14 on March 11, 1969, as the only players in franchise history with a perfect shooting night on at least 12 attempts, according to ESPN figures cited in game reports.
His 10 dunks were the most by a Laker in a game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003, according to the same reports.
The first of them came on the game's opening play, a Doncic lob that Kessler finished at the rim, according to game reports.
The Lob, the Rout, and the New Big Three
Los Angeles led 66-52 at halftime after Doncic banked in a shot from near half court at the buzzer, according to Reuters.
The Lakers then outscored Golden State 36-16 in the third quarter and led by as many as 35 points, according to the reports.
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Stephen Curry scored 23 points for the Warriors, 20 of them in the first half, according to Reuters.
Kessler arrived from the Utah Jazz in the offseason in a deal reported at $130 million, according to ClutchPoints.
The Praise, the Nickname, and What Comes Friday
After the game, Shaquille O'Neal praised Kessler during postgame television coverage, according to reports of the broadcast.
"You played like the best big man in the league," O'Neal said. "Welcome to the big man alliance."
O'Neal also gave the 25-year-old center a new nickname: "Milk Chamberlain."
"That means so much coming from you, Shaq," Kessler said in response, according to the reports.
The Lakers are back at Crypto.com Arena on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., when they host the LA Clippers, according to the team's schedule.
Sources
Reuters, Lakers season opener game reports, October 22, 2026; official game box score, Lakers vs. Warriors, October 21, 2026; ESPN statistics as cited by the New York Post and Athlon Sports, October 22, 2026; ClutchPoints postgame reports, October 22, 2026.
Transparency notes
Published: Oct 22, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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