Lakers Feel LeBron James’ Absence in Season-Opening Loss to Warriors

The Los Angeles Lakers struggled without injured superstar LeBron James, falling to the Golden State Warriors in their NBA season opener as coach JJ Redick acknowledged the team’s ongoing third-quarter problems.

Key Takeaways

• LeBron James missed his first career season opener due to sciatica flareup
• Luka Doncic delivered 43 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists in strong performance
• Lakers collapsed in third quarter with Warriors’ 18-4 run
• Doncic experienced late groin discomfort, called it “probably nothing”

Coach JJ Redick admitted feeling LeBron James’ absence during critical moments, particularly when the team struggled against zone defense. “It’s hard to forget about LeBron,” Redick said. “I’ll be honest with you, I did have one moment in the first half when we had a few possessions when we couldn’t score against the zone and I thought ‘It’d be great to have LeBron.'”

James watched courtside in street clothes as he recovers from sciatica, missing his first season opener in an unprecedented 23rd NBA campaign.

Third Quarter Collapse Continues

The Lakers, trailing by just one point at halftime, had no answer when Golden State opened the second half with an 18-4 run. Redick identified this as a recurring problem: “The trend I see is that we continue to be a terrible third-quarter team. That was last year, that was the preseason. They’re not ready to play to start the third quarter.”

With James expected to remain sidelined into November, Redick emphasized that all role players must step up. “We need our guys to star in their roles,” he stressed. “I don’t think that changes if LeBron is in the lineup or out of the lineup.”

Doncic Shines Despite Concerns

Luka Doncic nearly achieved a triple-double with 43 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists, but only Austin Reaves (26 points) and Deandre Ayton (10 points) joined him in double figures. Doncic took responsibility for Ayton’s limited seven shot attempts, acknowledging communication issues.

The Slovenian star’s impressive performance was somewhat dampened when he required treatment after the game for groin discomfort. “Felt it a little bit, but it’s probably nothing,” Doncic said post-game.

Redick summarized the loss as self-inflicted: “A microcosm of this game was, we did enough good things to put ourselves in a position to win for most of the game. And when we didn’t do those things, they were self-inflicted.”