The Los Angeles Lakers opened their exhibition season on Saturday evening by losing to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, 125-108. Head coach Darvin Ham went with plenty of intriguing lineups while giving his reserves and rookies substantial playing time, which may have contributed to the lopsided loss.
Another factor in the loss was the absence of LeBron James and Austin Reaves, both of whom didn’t play despite being healthy. James and Reaves were held out to manage their workload during the preseason.
The good news for Lakers fans is both players will play and start on Monday versus the Brooklyn Nets.
LeBron James and Austin Reaves, who missed Game 1 as healthy scratches, will both start tonight.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 9, 2023
James has said he wants to play in at least half of Los Angeles’ six preseason games this month. The team’s next contest will be on Wednesday, Oct. 11 versus the Sacramento Kings.