Luka Doncic, Perfect Kessler Lead Lakers Rout of Warriors

Luka Doncic told the home crowd he would deliver a "special season," then went out and opened the Lakers' post-LeBron era with a 127-105 blowout of the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. Doncic scored 28 in three quarters, and new center Walker Kessler went a perfect 12-for-12 from the field for 26 points, as reported by ESPN and the AP.

It took one possession for the new duo to click. Doncic hit Kessler with a lob for an alley-oop dunk on the Lakers' first trip, and the two never really stopped. "It's a lot of honor to be the face of the franchise," Doncic said. "That's just the first game. I think our ceiling is even higher."

Luka vs. the rookie, and the buzzer-beater

The first half turned into a running feud with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick. Late in the second quarter Doncic pump-faked Lendeborg into a shooting foul and let him hear about it, the two kept jawing, and Lendeborg drew a technical for what he said. Then Doncic banked in a shot from beyond half court at the halftime buzzer and pointed at the rookie.

"He was talking crazy," Doncic said. "But I wasn't trying to talk back. This season, I'm not trying to get techs." Lendeborg was not ready to make peace. "You get the foul call. Congratulations, bro," he said, adding that he used to have "so much respect for him. Gone, man. Gone." Lakers fans will have that clip on loop all week.

Doncic finished with 28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, going 9-of-9 at the line, and sat the entire fourth quarter in his first competitive game since April 2.

Walker Kessler never missed

Kessler, who came over from Utah in a sign-and-trade, made all 12 of his shots in his first regular-season game since shoulder surgery. He added nine rebounds and two blocks. He is the first Laker to shoot 100% on at least 12 field goal attempts since Wilt Chamberlain in 1969, and the first in franchise history with 10 dunks in a game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003.

"Contrary to my name, I run a lot," Kessler joked. Coach JJ Redick called it a "great opening statement." Austin Reaves chipped in 23 points and six assists, and Lakers fans watched Doncic and Reaves keep feeding the big man all night.

A thin Warriors team got run over

Stephen Curry scored 23, 16 of them in the first quarter, to open his 18th season. But Golden State was without Jimmy Butler III, Brandin Podziemski, Kristaps Porzingis and Moses Moody, and the Lakers built a lead as big as 35. Warriors fans had to watch Curry try to carry it alone.

The Lakers host the Clippers on Friday. The Warriors host Memphis on Friday.

Smacktok pick: lean higher on Kessler's points against the Clippers on Friday. Doncic and Reaves kept feeding him all night, and 10 of his 12 makes were dunks.