NBA Western Conference top performers
The NBA Western Conference has always been deep, with several teams expected to rise to the top in 2025-26.
LOS ANGELES — With LeBron James watching from the bench, the Los Angeles Lakers struggled but couldn’t please their home fans with a season-opening win over the Golden State Warriors.
On a night when the Warriors, Los Angeles’ biggest rival of the past decade, got contributions from role players like Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, the Lakers couldn’t generate enough offense from anyone other than Luka Doncic.
After all, the Lakers lost their season opener 119-109 and face a tough battle as James will be sidelined for at least another week and a half with sciatica.
Doncic was one assist shy of a triple-double, scoring a game-high 43 points on 17-of-27 shooting and adding 12 rebounds and nine assists. Guard Austin Reeves scored 26 points and center Deandre Ayton added 10 points, but no other Lakers scored in double figures.
The Lakers struggled from deep, making just 8-of-32 shots (25%) from beyond the arc, committing 20 turnovers and limiting their offense.
Meanwhile, the Warriors were led by Jimmy Butler with 31 points, and Stephen Curry (23 points), Kuminga (17 points) and Hield (17 points) each made timely baskets, especially from outside the basket. The Warriors made 17 of 40 (42.5%) 3-point shots.
The Lakers exploded on a 15-5 run midway through the fourth quarter, eventually cutting the Warriors’ double-digit lead to six points, but Golden State pulled away with a series of clutch shots.
The Lakers will next face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, October 24th, while the Warriors will return home to face the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, October 23rd.
USA TODAY Sports provided full coverage of the NBA Opening Night game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Scroll down for highlights.
The Lakers were energetic in the second quarter, but looked sluggish in the third. After ending the first half with a one-point lead, they now had a 17-point lead.
The Warriors overwhelmed them early in the second half with a 16-4 run, but the Lakers finally called a timeout with 8:45 left in the quarter after trailing by 13 points.
So much for timeouts. The Warriors extended their lead to 17 points.
Only Luka Doncic kept the game from becoming an embarrassment, scoring 13 points in the quarter, and the Lakers once got within 10 points before waking up the crowd again.
Doncic led all scorers with 31 points, followed by Jimmy Butler with 25 points for the Warriors.
That’s it for LA’s energetic run before the half.
The Lakers closed the gap late in the second quarter and went into the break with a one-point lead, but Golden State came out of the locker room and opened the second half with a 16-4 run to take a 71-58 lead.
The Lakers continue to need more help from role players around Luka Doncic. He scored all four of the Lakers’ points during this period.
The sluggish game became tense at the end of the second quarter, awakening the crowd. The Lakers cheered them on heavily and ended the first half on a 19-10 run. But Jimmy Butler made two free throws from left field to keep the home fans in check, giving the Warriors a one-point lead at halftime.
The Lakers’ last three shots of the quarter were 3-pointers, and they made 4 of 6 3-pointers in the second quarter. The Lakers trailed by as many as 10 points before briefly losing a one-point lead.
For Los Angeles, Luka Doncic scored 22 points in the first half and Austin Reeves had 12 points.
Butler led the Warriors with 17 points, but after scoring just three points in the first quarter, it was Stephen Curry who led Golden State with 11 points in the second quarter.
Outside of Doncic and Reeves, the Lakers’ offense looked lackluster until they picked up steam in the second half, but that can only be partially attributed to the absence of LeBron James. Rui Hachimura, a talented scorer, was scoreless until he sank two 3-point shots in the final stages. Center Deandre Ayton, acquired by the Lakers in the offseason, failed to impress the crowd in the first half. He recorded four points and five rebounds in 17 minutes, but showed a lack of aggression.
One quarter after Warriors forward Draymond Green was called for his first technical foul, Green forced Lakers forward Jared Vanderbilt into his own technical foul.
During play in the second quarter, Green lightly shoved Vanderbilt after Los Angeles scored. Vanderbilt responded with an even stronger push, which drew a whistle from the referees.
Jimmy Butler made the free throw.
LeBron James, wearing a navy blue suit and glasses, sat on the bench and watched the Lakers fall behind by a narrow margin early in their season opener against the Warriors.
Turnovers and moments of disjointed play paved the way for Golden State to get open looks on the perimeter.
Luka Doncic took Los Angeles’ first ball of the 2025-26 season on the left side of the paint and made a smooth fadeaway while Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga guarded him.
Most of the time, Golden State forced Kuminga to start Doncic, but the Warriors also threw Jimmy Butler to Kuminga on a switch. Then Butler took a quick shot off the bench and the Warriors fell into the zone.
The Warriors utilized their perimeter defense, and although the Lakers only made 1 of 9 3-pointers (11.1%), they picked up the pace in transition and made high-percentage shots.
Doncic outscored all Lakers players in points (10) and rebounds (5) in the first quarter. The Lakers shot just 42.1% from the floor and struggled to find continuity due to turnovers. Los Angeles committed nine giveaways and scored nine points during this period.
Golden State shot 5-of-10 (50%) from beyond the arc.
Warriors forward Draymond Green was called for his first technical foul of the season for whining on the bench during a loose ball. The NBA is focusing on forcing players’ emotions this season.
Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa and daughter Natalia attend Los Angeles’ season opener at Cyrpto.com Arena on Tuesday night. They were briefly displayed on the Jumbotron just before tipoff.
Athletes in attendance included Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell, who will represent the team in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, and former NBA icon Dirk Nowitzki.
Married actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were also seen watching the game courtside on the jumbotron.
Luka Doncic is set to embark on his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers. And he plans to do it with a slimmed-down physique.
After revealing in a Men’s Health cover story that he lost weight over the summer with a strict diet and training schedule, Doncic took to the floor here at Crypto.com Arena, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants, and went through his typical pregame routine.
The Lakers will likely ask Doncic to carry some of the heavy lifting early on. The team will be without star forward LeBron James, who will miss the first few weeks with a sciatica issue.
Perhaps because of James’ injury, it was Doncic who addressed the crowd here before tipoff.
Doncic responded to the cheers by saying, “Hello everyone. I want to thank you for your support. Now let’s go to the Lakers.”
▶ Click here to read the full story by Lorenzo Reyes.
What time does the Warriors vs. Lakers game start?
The 2025-26 NBA season opener between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers is scheduled for Tuesday, October 21st at 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local time) in Los Angeles.
What TV channel is broadcasting Warriors vs. Lakers?
NBC will televise the second game of the Opening Day doubleheader between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.
Stream Warriors vs. Lakers on Fubo
How to watch and stream Warriors vs. Lakers
- date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
- time: 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM PT)
- position: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles
- tv set: NBC
- stream: fubo, peacock
Warriors vs. Lakers latest lines, odds
All odds via BetMGM As of Monday, October 20th.
- Spread: Warriors (-2.5)
- Money line: Warriors (-140); Lakers (+115)
- Top/Bottom: 225.5
