The Lakers Were Up 20. Thirty Turnovers Later, the Warriors Won.

The Lakers led the Warriors by as many as 20 in Las Vegas Tuesday. They still lost 101–89. That's not some mystery. L.A. gave up the ball 30 times and handed Golden State 26 points off turnovers.

Austin Reaves wasn't the problem. He finished with 28 points, seven assists and four rebounds, while new big man Walker Kessler made his preseason debut and put up 11 points and nine rebounds in the first half. Luka Dončić sat out for rest.

What matters here

Golden State hung around, tightened its defense, and used its depth to reverse the game. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg contributed 17 points, five boards and four assists. The Warriors finished the night at 3–2 in the preseason; L.A. dropped to 2–2.

Preseason is supposed to be a laboratory, so I won't pretend that one loss means the Lakers are cooked. But there's a difference between trying lineups and literally throwing possessions away. Thirty turnovers isn't a 'we need more chemistry' shrug. It's a giant red circle on the coaching staff's film review.

My take

Reaves and Kessler showed why this team can be interesting. Golden State showed how quickly an opponent can make you pay when you stop protecting the ball.