Lakers

Russell Westbrook, back in the starting lineup in the Lakers' opener Tuesday night, said he "absolutely" believes coming off the bench in L.A.'s preseason ...

... I think he needs a fresh start, I think the Lakers need a fresh start, because they're not contenders." "I think we played well," Davis said. "I don't think he was ever out of [the starting group]," Davis said. "I admire him. "You know, man, I'm super blessed and leaning a lot on my faith," Westbrook said. I thought he was solid. I respect him. "We wanted to come out and everybody be aggressive. traded for Westbrook in the summer of 2021. A couple possessions I wish I can get back, but overall, I thought he was solid." ... That's something I just wasn't accustomed to." "Honestly, I didn't even know what to do pregame.

Stephen Curry and Golden State cruised past LeBron James and the Lakers on opening night.

[Warriors may not be a runaway favorite](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/10/18/nba-finals-predictions-expert-picks-clippers-bucks-warriors-nuggets) in the manner they were during say, the [Kevin Durant](https://www.si.com/nba/player/kevin-durant) years. [Stephen Curry](https://www.si.com/nba/player/stephen-curry) was the only player to play over 30 minutes, and even then it was only a leisurely 33. Not in the current NBA, in which no team is head and shoulders above anyone else, [and superteams have largely gone the way of starry duos](https://www.si.com/nba/2021/10/19/end-of-nba-dynasties). “It was a ring night and that's really what we were focused on finishing the first game. [celebrated its 2022 championship with a ring ceremony](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/10/19/warriors-celebrate-2022-title-ring-ceremony-before-season-opener) and [breezy win over the Lakers on opening night](https://www.si.com/nba/warriors/news/steph-curry-reacts-to-opening-night-win-over-lakers). Still, the Warriors certainly resembled the version of themselves capable of winning it all in Game 1. Something everyone on the team has echoed since the The weeks leading up to the game were filled with [speculation about the Warriors’ future](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/10/12/draymond-green-warriors-jordan-poole-punch-fined). The [123–109 win against the Lakers](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/warriors-blow-out-lakers-in-season-opener-ak1987) followed a similar script to countless Warriors games from their best years. [could pick up right where it left off from when we last saw them](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/06/17/golden-state-warriors-stephen-curry-2022-nba-champions-daily-cover), when Golden State was the last team standing in the playoffs. But he does have the luxury of always being able to fall back on Curry and whoever else has it going when the team needs to make a run. “It reminds me of ‘14-’15,” Kerr said of the team’s depth after the game.

Here's how NBA Twitter reacted to the Warriors blowing out the Lakers on opening night, plus James Harden's viral moment.

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Start every morning with The Pulse in your inbox. Sign up here. Good morning! Don't serve up a fastball to Kyle Schwarber today, OK?

Boston’s 126-117 win over the Sixers let the rest of the league know that the defending Eastern Conference champs [are still pretty damn good](https://theathletic.com/3708164/2022/10/19/celtics-composure-nba-opener/). [Warriors](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/warriors/). 😬 [LeBron James](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/lebron-james-dxRvkEThnxpMbhcr/) scored 31 and [Anthony Davis](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/anthony-davis-YhDofdcmUKoYKV18/) added 27, but the rest of the Lake Show was pretty dismal.

LeBron James says it was no surprise that the Lakers made only 25% of their three-point shots in a season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Then the reality of an aging roster, and injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, set in. “We just got to continue to shoot, shoot, shoot. The Lakers did make four of nine in the fourth, but the game was out of reach by then. I put the work in here, so I live with those results. “And I don’t see myself missing the open looks I had tonight. Get them up in shoot-arounds, individual workouts. Get them up in practice. I mean, I had four or five damn good looks from the three-point line. You continue to defend, you continue to push the ball, you continue to share the ball, you continue to play for one another.” But we’re not sitting here with a bunch of 40-plus [percent] career three-point shooting guys.” “It’s not like we’re sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team. “I mean, to be completely honest, we’re not a team that’s constructed of great shooting.

This isn't a one-off, the Lakers shot 28.6% from 3 and 39.8% overall in the preseason. LeBron was asked about it after the game and threw the blame where it ...

[James Harden](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29473/james-harden) had a monster first half with 22 points and was +10, and he finished with 35 points on 9-of-14 shooting, plus he got to the line 12 times and had a team-high seven assists. [Jayson Tatum](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30429/jayson-tatum) and [Jaylen Brown](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30298/jaylen-brown) combined for 70 points. [Joel Embiid](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30040/joel-embiid) finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, but the Celtics doubled him to take the ball out of his hands, he made smart passes out of the doubles most of the time, but the other Sixers couldn’t take full advantage. The Celtics had No.6 patches on their jerseys, which were special edition and included script lettering used at the Slade’s Bar and Grill restaurant that Russell owned. Jaylen Brown on his Bill Russell speech: "I wrote some stuff down & just (scrapped) the page. Boston also controlled the pace and used their 24 fast break point to pull away from the 76ers. [Stephen Curry](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29477/stephen-curry) led all scorers with 33 points, plus pitched in seven assists, six rebounds and four steals. Forget about whether [Anthony Davis](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29801/anthony-davis) is ready to be the Lakers’ No.1 option for an entire season or if [LeBron James](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/28859/lebron-james) can outrun Father Time and [make a whole ad campaign around it (with Jason Momoa as Father Time)](https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/nike-pits-lebron-james-against-jason-momoas-father-time-new-teaser/2443146). Steve Kerr was able to go 11 deep into his roster in the first half and trust guys could make plays, which kept the Warriors fresh as they shook off the preseason rust. This isn’t a one-off, the Lakers shot 28.6% from 3 and 39.8% overall in the preseason. [Russell Westbrook](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29376/russell-westbrook) starts or comes off the bench (he started — and said his preseason hamstring tweak was due to coming off the bench). The Lakers were 3-of-23 on shots outside the paint in the first half.

He was back in the starting lineup after a brief preseason experiment in which he came off the bench.

I thought he was solid. A couple possessions I wish I can get back, but overall, I thought he was solid.” Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. That experiment helped lead to a hamstring injury, the 33-year-old said he “absolutely” believes. didn’t know what it was, but I wasn’t going to risk it in a preseason game.” It was a return to the starting lineup for the former MVP, after the team experimented with bringing him off the bench for the team’s preseason finale, as a way for him to lead the second unit.

After all those thrilling NBA Finals battles of last decade, Stephen Curry and LeBron James can still put on a spectacular show.

“And now they get to see another kid who is the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. “I’m excited for the city of Saginaw, Michigan, to get to see a kid that represents the city well and happens to be playing some really good basketball and playing at a high level his entire career in Draymond Green,” Ham said. “That has to be something that’s in our fabric, not just against Golden State but against the entire league.” “You’ve always got to be ready for the third quarters, and we were not tonight.” Kerr said he will increase Thompson’s minutes each game as a precaution following his return in January from an absence of more than 2 1/2 years for surgeries to his left knee and right Achilles tendon. “I’m thrilled with the win,” coach Steve Kerr said.

Klay Thompson added 18 points and three assists for the Warriors in the victory, while LeBron James (31 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists) and Anthony Davis ( ...

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Lakers guard Russell Westbrook was back in the starting lineup for the team's regular season opener on Tuesday after playing a reserve role in last Friday's ...

It appears that LeBron James already knows that your Los Angeles Lakers aren't particularly great. One game into the 2022-23 season, after a rough 1-5 ...

But we're not sitting here with a bunch of 40-plus [percent] career three-point shooting guys." [Dave McMenamin of ESPN](https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1582646093090734080) has the full skinny. It's not like we're sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team. "To be completely honest, we're not a team constructed of great shooting. Ben Golliver of The Washington Post captured some very candid postgame press conference reflections from the 37-year-old superstar, who had a solid stat-stuffing night during a contest that never got within single digits in the fourth quarter. One game into the 2022-23 season, after a rough 1-5 preseason, it's pretty apparent that L.A.

LeBron James started the new NBA season with a defeat against the Golden State Warriors last Tuesday. He wantd to spoil the reigning champions' ring ...

Keep in mind that the NBA has 82 games each team has to play in the regular season alone. It should be interesting to see how LeBron James' teammates respond against Los Angeles Clippers next Thursday. Others slammed James' lack of leadership skills but most of them simply couldn't believe he would go after his teammates right after a defeat like that. Instead of trying to encourage his teammates for the next game against the Clippers, James decided to criticize their shooting. Facing the best-shooting team in the league was already a challenge but the Lakers never displayed long-range skills in this game. He wantd to spoil the reigning champions' ring presentation but his 31 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists couldn't prevent it.

Steph Curry made a remarkable move in Tuesday's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

Over on the Lakers side, they now begin the season 0-1, and will play their second game of the season (as the home team) against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday evening. On Friday, the Warriors will be home once again when they host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets for their second game of the new season. [Golden State Warriors](https://www.si.com/nba/team/golden-state-warriors) picked up their first win of the season when they beat the [ Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.si.com/nba/team/los-angeles-lakers) at the Chase Center in San Francisco by a score of 123-109.

After an offseason of wrenching, the Los Angeles Lakers finally got to road-test the roster they rebuilt around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

AD failed to make any of his five attempts outside the lane. Again, the Warriors are a tough test. Starting at center, AD surged in the first quarter and changed the game on both ends with his length, mobility and skill. Spry, alert and quick off the floor, AD made plays that should give the Lakers hope he can reach his peak levels. But Anthony Davis looked a lot more like the two-way force who barged into "top five in the league" territory during the Lakers' title run in the 2020 bubble. Steph leaves Austin Reaves in the dust with a backcut and-1. Maybe the good news is that this wasn't a total Murphy's Law game for the Lakers. If you're a glass-half-full type, it's actually encouraging that they finished 10-of-40 after one of the more dispiriting starts in memory. 1 of 2022-23 revealed that several of the concerns that plagued L.A. Still, the Lakers now have far more information about their strengths and weaknesses than they did prior to Tuesday's defeat. The Dubs aren't the ideal opponent to face in a search for clarity. After an offseason of wrenching, the Los Angeles Lakers finally got to road-test the roster they rebuilt around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 123-109 in Tuesday night's opening night game. Here is what stood out in this game for both teams.

are key names to watch for this season on the Warriors bench and we saw how deep of a team the Golden State Warriors are on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. Nine different players scored at least 5 points for the Warriors on opening night and they received a ton of bench production. Getting things done on both ends of the floor with basically anyone who stepped in the game for them, Golden State sent a very clear message on opening night as to why they are still the team to beat this season. As for the Los Angeles Lakers, many of their struggles from a season ago are still very apparent. Donte DiVincenzo joined the team this year along with veteran JaMychal Green and Golden State’s youth is going to be stepping into some much bigger roles. While they did go on a run late in the second-half, the Lakers never really seemed to have a chance in this game, which is why they have a lot of work to do if they are to be a serious playoff team this season.

The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their 2022-23 campaign on Tuesday night against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

It completely undermines the idea that Westbrook is willing to be more of a team-first player than he was under former head coach Frank Vogel. Ham wanted to experiment with Westbrook running the second team—a strategy that could allow L.A. It was something the Lakers considered doing last season, but then-head coach Frank Vogel was reluctant because he feared Westbrook wouldn’t respond well to coming off the bench." However, if Westbrook is going to push back against Ham's choices—or publicly complain about them after the fact—new ideas could be difficult to implement. However, any idea that Ham can turn Westbrook into a perfect fit for this roster took a hit with Westbrook's postgame comments. "They paused it, essentially, at the start of training camp." It was questionable whether Westbrook would even play because of a hamstring injury he suffered in the preseason finale. "Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. had its three biggest stars—LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook—in the lineup and playing significant minutes. A lot of squads are going to look outmatched against Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Co. More discouraging than the loss itself were Westbrook's comments after the game. Unfortunately for anyone hopeful about an improved Lakers team, the result was eerily similar to what we saw often last season.

TNT will have an interesting pair of games to kick off their weekly double-headers. First, the clash of Eastern Conference titans between the Philadelphia ...

[10th-best odds at +2500 according to DraftKings](https://dksb.sng.link/As9kz/0wps?_dl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fgateway%3Fs%3D347134020%26wpcid%3D229989%26wpcn%3DInarticle%26wpsrc%3DVox%26wpscn%3DNBA%26wpcrid%3DInarticle&pcid=229989&psn=Vox&pcn=Inarticle&pcrid=Inarticle&pscn=NBA), a bonafide All-Star in George, and a whole host of good players up and down their roster. [according to DraftKings](https://dksb.sng.link/As9kz/0wps?_dl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fgateway%3Fs%3D347134020%26wpcid%3D229989%26wpcn%3DInarticle%26wpsrc%3DVox%26wpscn%3DNBA%26wpcrid%3DInarticle&pcid=229989&psn=Vox&pcn=Inarticle&pcrid=Inarticle&pscn=NBA) at +600 — and if you believe they can replicate their 2021 path to the title; by bludgeoning their way to the trophy. In addition to the team staying healthy, Davis has to be elite for the Lakers to join the list of title contenders. Of course, this also assumes the Lakers staying healthy which is not exactly a strong bet considering their track record and razor-thin depth. [ According to DraftKings](https://dksb.sng.link/As9kz/0wps?_dl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fgateway%3Fs%3D347134020%26wpcid%3D229989%26wpcn%3DInarticle%26wpsrc%3DVox%26wpscn%3DNBA%26wpcrid%3DInarticle&pcid=229989&psn=Vox&pcn=Inarticle&pcrid=Inarticle&pscn=NBA), they are +800 to win it all which is third-best in the Eastern Conference and fifth-best across the league. For the Lakers, their ceiling depends heavily on just how good Anthony Davis can be this year. Are the Clippers really the odds-on favorite to win the title or are they simply great on paper? [Philadelphia 76ers](https://www.libertyballers.com) and [Milwaukee Bucks](https://www.brewhoop.com). The question with them is not if they can win regular season games; it lies in the struggles Harden and head coach Doc Rivers have had in the postseason. Philadelphia has every piece needed to win the title. Simply put, Vegas does not seem them as the contender most likely to enjoy postseason success. Could this be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals?

LeBron's 'truth' bomb exposes glaring Lakers flaw... and that's just start of their problems.

if I’m starting and I’m probable, then I won’t be there to start the season’ and then that becomes a distraction and the ball starts to move a little bit faster,” Jefferson said. The wear and tear mentally... “The Lakers stink. playing with Patrick Beverley ...he’s going to get the blame no matter what. James recorded 31 points on 12-of-25 shooting (3-of-10 from three) to go with 14 rebounds and eight assists. “He was sending a message that ‘if you guys try and do this… Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. But that’s something I just wasn’t accustomed to.” But definitely wasn’t something I was used to. It’s not like we’re sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to do pregame. “But that doesn’t deter us from still trying to get great shots.

LeBron James says the Lakers must keep shooting threes even though they aren't good at it. Russell Westbrook blames bench role for pulled hamstring.

Whether you make a shot, or you miss a shot, you turn the ball over, or whatever, you got to have a short memory and get on to the next play immediately. And really, for the first 10 games of the Lakers’ season, things will mostly stay that way. You continue to defend, you continue to push the ball, you continue to share the ball, you continue to play for one another. “And they genuinely care, so that’s [why] they have the disappointment in the first place. “Like, you got to have a short memory. “We got to stay on our toes, be able to move onto the next play. The postgame chatter came after the Lakers didn’t look in the same class as the defending champs despite strong offensive games from Anthony Davis, James and Westbrook. “Guys just got to step up and knock down the shots. “You continue to defend. You continue to trust the shot. “They are all open looks designed within the system,” Ham said. “Didn’t know what it was, but I wasn’t going to risk it in a preseason game.

The Lakers lost their season opener to the Warriors with with Lakers head coach Darvin Ham eyeing the turnover differential.

"A lot of that stuff isn't scripted, it isn't something they've broken down in practice, but a lot of that is Draymond quarterbacking the defense. This was also a catalyst for another strong Warriors third quarter as they blew the game open and went up by as much as 27 points. 12 of those instances were at the hands of the Lakers' three priciest players: All-Stars