Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler lead Lakers past Clippers 125-117 despite Luka Doncic's 11 turnovers

The Lakers turned the ball over 21 times and still beat their crosstown rivals. Austin Reaves had 28 points and nine assists, Walker Kessler added 22 points and six blocks, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the LA Clippers 125-117 on Friday night, Oct. 23, at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers are 2-0. The Clippers, who routed Sacramento in their opener, fell to 1-1.

How the Lakers pulled away, and nearly let it slip

The game was tied 64-64 at halftime. The Lakers took over in the third quarter and led by 15 in the second half, according to the Los Angeles Times, before their ball security slipped in the fourth. A Darius Garland basket cut the lead to six with 3:18 left.

Reaves and Kessler closed it out. Kessler made two free throws and blocked a shot late, the Times reported, and the Lakers held on for their ninth win in the last 13 meetings with the Clippers, per the AP.

Kessler’s big start

Kessler, a 7-foot-2 center in his first season with the Lakers, has opened with back-to-back 20-point games for the first time in his five NBA seasons, the AP reported. He went 12-for-12 in his debut against Golden State, then missed his first shot Friday before making his next eight.

The Times highlighted a stretch that captured his night:

• A first-quarter steal that he took the length of the floor for a two-handed dunk.
• A block on Derrick Jones Jr. that led to a Reaves 3-pointer and an 89-77 lead in the third quarter.
• An offensive rebound and reverse layup through contact from Brook Lopez for a 91-77 lead.
• A fourth-quarter lob from Reaves for a dunk that pushed the lead to 15.

He finished 10-for-14 with eight rebounds.

Box score leaders

The Lakers had six players score at least 13 points, the AP reported. The Clippers committed 26 turnovers.

A rough night for Doncic

Doncic, last season’s NBA scoring leader, scored 23 on 8-of-21 shooting but committed a career-high 11 turnovers. That accounted for more than half of the Lakers’ 21 giveaways.

Hachimura’s return

Rui Hachimura spent three and a half seasons with the Lakers before signing with the Clippers this summer on a two-year, $28 million deal, according to the Times. The Lakers played a highlight tribute for him. He had 12 points by halftime and finished with 16.

Before the game, Lakers coach JJ Redick said the Clippers were “running a lot of the same stuff for Rui that they ran for PG [Paul George] and at times Kawhi [Leonard].”

Lakers injury notes

• Collin Sexton made his season debut after missing the opener and five exhibition games with a lower-leg injury. He had five points and three steals in 16 minutes, and his first play was a steal.
• Jake LaRavia sat out with a sprained right ankle. Redick said LaRavia, who played all 82 games last season, hoped to return Sunday at Utah or Tuesday at home against Portland.

What’s next

• Lakers: at the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
• Clippers: at the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.

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