LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers wanted one clean dress rehearsal before the games started counting. What they got instead was a reminder of how much work remains.
The Lakers closed the preseason with a 121-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, falling behind by 14 points in the opening quarter and spending the rest of the evening trying to repair the damage.
Austin Reaves led Los Angeles with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. Luka Dončić scored 15 points in 18 first-half minutes, while Ziaire Williams added an efficient 14 points before also sitting after halftime. The Lakers finished the preseason 2-3.
The new starting lineup gets a rough first test
JJ Redick opened with Dončić, Reaves, Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Walker Kessler—a group designed to place size, athleticism and defense around the Lakers’ two primary creators.
The concept makes sense. The first-quarter execution did not.
Denver pressured Dončić and Reaves, crowded the Lakers’ passing lanes and turned six early turnovers into transition opportunities. Los Angeles trailed 36-22 after one quarter as Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray controlled the pace and the Nuggets consistently found clean looks in the paint.
It was the first extended look at the Dončić-Reaves-Kessler trio against a high-level opponent, and the spacing felt cramped at times. Kessler finished with six points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks, but made only two of eight attempts. Thybulle supplied seven points, five rebounds and three assists, though his presence alongside Kessler left Denver more freedom to shade extra attention toward the ball.
Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves fight through Denver’s pressure
Dončić never found a sustained rhythm, but he helped settle the offense after the ugly opening stretch. He finished 4-of-10 from the field and 3-of-7 from three, adding four rebounds and two assists. His five turnovers were the clearest sign of how effectively Denver disrupted the Lakers’ first action.
Reaves stayed on the floor into the second half and repeatedly attacked the basket, earning 12 free-throw attempts. His 19 points came despite a 1-of-7 night from beyond the arc, but he also committed six of the Lakers’ 14 turnovers.
Neither star needs to be perfect in a preseason finale. Still, the Lakers’ offense cannot become this fragile whenever opponents blitz the ball and force the supporting cast to make the next decision.
Ziaire Williams makes his case
Williams was the cleanest part of the starting group. He scored 14 points in only 10 minutes, shooting 5-of-6 from the floor and making both of his three-point attempts.
His combination of length, cutting and spot-up shooting is exactly what the Lakers need beside Dončić and Reaves. One preseason performance will not settle the starting competition, but Williams showed why Redick was willing to test him with the first unit.
The bench changes the energy
The Lakers did not fold after their poor start. They trimmed the deficit to seven by halftime and pulled within five entering the fourth quarter, largely because the second unit played with more pace and decisiveness.
Sandro Mamukelashvili continued his strong preseason with 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes. He knocked down three triples, moved the ball quickly and finished as a plus-six in a 15-point loss. Quentin Grimes added 11 points and three assists without committing a turnover, while Jaden Hardy scored 13 in 13 minutes.
Los Angeles scored 45 bench points and converted Denver’s 14 turnovers into 27 points. That activity kept the game competitive after Dončić and Williams were done for the night, but the Nuggets answered every meaningful Lakers run.
The concern heading into opening night
The 14 turnovers were manageable in the final box score. The timing of them was not. Los Angeles gave the ball away eight times in the first half and repeatedly asked its defense to operate without being set.
The Lakers also allowed Denver to shoot 58.2% from the field for the game. That is the larger warning sign. Redick can adjust the rotation and refine the spacing, but this group must defend the point of attack and protect the paint well enough to survive the inevitable offensive dry spells.
Preseason results disappear the moment the regular season begins. The problems exposed by a disciplined opponent do not. Friday gave the Lakers useful film, even if it was not the confidence-building finale they wanted.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers open the 2026-27 regular season Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.