The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a humbling 124-98 preseason blowout loss against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, a day after a 103-127 win in Sacramento. Without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, and Collin Sexton, the shorthanded Lakers stumbled out of the gate, falling behind 81-53 at halftime while allowing the Warriors to lead by as many as 31 points. But head coach JJ Redick refused to let a heavily depleted roster excuse a disastrous first half.
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Without the expected backcourt contributors, Luka Doncic and the B-team managed to suffocate the Kings in the first half yesterday. But against the Warriors, the Lakers looked like a different team when even Doncic is benched.
Frustrated by the team’s defensive lapses and lack of intensity from the opening tip, Redick called out the group’s lack of discipline while reinforcing that the franchise’s championship standards remain non-negotiable, whether it’s the preseason or shorthanded.
“The way we started that game was insane… I don’t know the reasons why, cause this group has been awesome for the two months I’ve been around them… just… it’s unacceptable… the first half was unacceptable,” Redick said candidly after the game.
Despite the lopsided opening 24 minutes, Redick found reason for encouragement in the second half. He commended young wings Adou Thiero and Jake LaRavia for raising the defensive bar after halftime.
“I thought that group that started the second half, we got back to our physicality defensively, and Adou and Jake particularly were really good in that stretch,” Redick noted.
Addressing how he manages a team missing its core stars, Redick emphasized that accountability remains central to his coaching philosophy.
“We’ve had a handful of these games where you’re missing star players and a lot of your depth,” Redick explained. “I still expect to win and I still expect us to play to our standards — That first half did not meet my expectations and I let them know that — You can still hold them accountable. And I do think they respond.”
The contrast between the two halves was stark. Before tip-off, Warriors fans were raging at Steve Kerr for opting a small-ball frontcourt alongside Stephen Curry. But that opinion did a 180 right in the first quarter behind a starting five featuring 2026’s 11th overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg alongside Draymond Green and Gui Santos.
Lendeborg made an impact inside against the Lakers’ reserves, scoring 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds while knocking down two three-pointers in a strong first half. He finished the preseason with 17 total rebounds across 33 minutes.
On the other side, Stephen Curry needed just 14 minutes to put together a vintage 16-point performance. He knocked down two four-point plays and helped Golden State explode for 45 points in the opening quarter.
For the Lakers, the early issues were even more noticeable with Bronny James starting at point guard on his 22nd birthday. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the young guard struggled to get the offense organized and handle his on-ball defensive assignments against Brandin Podziemski. Podziemski took advantage, finishing with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
While he did have great moments for taking on both Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, Redick was forced to call a timeout just 52 seconds into the game following an early shooting foul by James on Podz, setting a chaotic tone for an opening stretch where the Lakers quickly fell behind by 16 points.
Quentin Grimes provided a bright spot in the backcourt rotation, scoring 12 points and adding three assists across the game. Even though the Lakers lost, fans were impressed how the team seems to find a better rhythm when Grimes shared primary ball-handling duties.
However, the first-half deficit proved too steep to overcome against a complete Warriors rotation.
The loss showed just how vulnerable the Lakers’ depth can be without Doncic and Reaves. Even so, fans saw some positives in the first half, particularly on defense, as the Lakers forced the Warriors into several turnovers.
Redick’s firm postgame message made it clear that effort and physical defense are still the minimum requirements, regardless of who is on the floor. With three preseason games left before opening night, the Lakers will have a chance to build on the contributions from Thiero and LaRavia while gradually bringing their key perimeter players back into the rotation.