The Los Angeles Lakers were beaten by the Golden State Warriors in the second game of NBA Opening Night by a score of 119-109.
On Tuesday, October 21, during the season opener, Luka Doncic led all scorers with 43 points to go along with 12 rebounds and nine assists, and Austin Reaves added 26 points with five rebounds and nine assists in the losing effort.
Jimmy Butler led the way for Golden State with 31 points as Stephen Curry added 23, and the Lakers' first game of the season ended in a tough loss at home.
LeBron James skipped the game due to sciatica, and it was reported earlier in the month that he would sit out the start of the 23rd NBA season of his career.
Following the loss, Reaves was asked about the "smaller fixes" and the adjustments they need to make with James out.
While he explained the changing of roles, he also made it clear what he would do if he were James.
"If I was LeBron James, I probably would've retired by now, but he's one of the greatest players to ever touch the basketball, so you have to do it as a collective group," Reaves said.
Doncic and Reaves did the most in the match with 69 combined points. The rest of the Lakers team combined for just 40 points, with Deandre Ayton scoring 10 in his LA regular-season debut.
James, at the age of 40, is still considered one of the top players in the game and an important asset to the Lakers team.
The Los Angeles Lakers will next face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday in LA.
