Luka Dončić leads Lakers to 127-105 win and confronts Warriors rookie Jaksel Lenderborg

October 22, 2026 — The Los Angeles Lakers opened the new NBA season with a convincing 127-105 win over the Golden State Warriors, led by Luka Dončić, who finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The game was overshadowed by a heated verbal exchange between Dončić and Warriors debutant Jaksel Lenderborg.

Key moments and performances

Early in the game Lenderborg was assigned to guard Dončić and the two traded provocation after a defensive stop — an exchange that escalated until referees assessed a technical foul on Lenderborg. Near the end of the first half Dončić answered in spectacular fashion: he hit a half-court three at the buzzer, then pointed toward Lenderborg and continued to provoke him.

At one point, while Lenderborg was sitting on the Warriors' bench, Dončić looked in his direction and shouted: "Get back on the court, p...!" The clip of the outburst spread quickly across social media.

Big contributions came from Walker Kessler, who had a spotless offensive night with 26 points on 12/12 shooting and added nine rebounds, and Austin Reaves, who scored 23 points and handed out six assists. The Lakers built a sizeable halftime lead and put the game out of reach with a dominant third quarter, which they won 36-16, entering the fourth up 102-68.

For Golden State, Steph Curry led the scoring with 23 points, 20 of which came in the first half. The Warriors were missing several key players, including Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porziņģis.

Other NBA results from the night: Orlando 125–132 Atlanta; Washington 128–116 Milwaukee; Brooklyn 103–110 Charlotte; Miami 106–131 Minnesota; Toronto 135–92 Chicago; Memphis 123–103 Utah; New Orleans 120–123 Indiana; Houston 128–110 Dallas; Los Angeles Lakers 127–105 Golden State; Portland 124–83 Phoenix; Los Angeles Clippers 121–96 Sacramento.

Photo: Do Deka @dodekabasket (X)