Overview
- The Lakers opened Friday’s preseason finale with a starting group of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams and lost 121-106 to the Denver Nuggets to finish the exhibition slate 2-3.
- Coach JJ Redick said the lineup was a one‑game look and stopped short of naming an opening‑night five while noting Quentin Grimes “will start a lot of games,” signaling flexibility in final personnel choices.
- Los Angeles was again shorthanded as Collin Sexton, Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr did not play, forcing the staff to test different ball‑handling and spacing solutions in live action.
- The experiment exposed immediate issues: the Lakers committed 14 turnovers, including six in the first quarter, and the Dončić-Reaves-Kessler trio showed limited chemistry in their first full game together this preseason.
- Ziaire Williams (14 points in 10 minutes) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (15 points, eight rebounds) boosted their rotation cases by providing efficient scoring and spacing that could influence coach decisions during the remaining practices before Wednesday’s opener.