Warriors and Lakers open NBA season in Los Angeles
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The gist
The Warriors visit the Lakers for the 2026-27 regular-season opener at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.
It is the Lakers' first season without LeBron James, with Luka Doncic leading them.
Background
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are NBA teams whose season series has swung back and forth recently. The Lakers are entering their first season without LeBron James, coached by JJ Redick, and are led by guard Luka Doncic, who topped the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game last season. The Warriors, coached by Steve Kerr, finished eight games below .500 last season and lost to the Suns in the West Play-In. For the second straight season, Golden State opens its schedule in Los Angeles against the Lakers.
How it unfolded
- Apr 3, 2025The Warriors beat the Lakers 123-116.
- Oct 21, 2025The Warriors beat the Lakers 119-109.
- Feb 7, 2026The Lakers beat the Warriors 105-99.
- Feb 28, 2026The Lakers beat the Warriors 129-101.
- Apr 9, 2026The Lakers beat the Warriors 119-103.
- Oct 6, 2026The Warriors won 124-98 in a preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco; Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler did not play for the Lakers.
- Oct 13, 2026The Warriors won 101-89 in a preseason game in Las Vegas; Walker Kessler made his preseason debut and Austin Reaves scored a preseason-high 28 points, while the Warriors were without Draymond Green, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.
- Oct 21, 2026The teams meet in the regular-season opener at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 10 p.m. EST.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- The New York Post's Mike Turay has the Lakers favored by 5.5 points at home with a total of 234.5 points.
- Analysts
- PrizePicks' Jordan Foote lists the Lakers as 6.5-point home favorites.
- Caution
- Yahoo Sports' Khobi Price notes the Lakers turned the ball over 30 times in their second preseason game against the Warriors.