Walker Kessler scored 26 points on 12-for-12 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in his Lakers debut, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 127-105 on Wednesday night.

His 12 makes without a miss were the second-most in Lakers history. Only Wilt Chamberlain's 14-for-14 game in March 1969 ranks higher, according to ESPN's recap. Kessler, listed at 7-foot-2, had seven defensive rebounds and two on offense, and he scored the Lakers' first basket by finishing a lob from Luka Doncic.

Doncic finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 30 minutes and sat out the fourth quarter. He scored 23 in the first half. Austin Reaves added 23 for Los Angeles. Stephen Curry led Golden State with 23 points in his 18th season, and Draymond Green had eight assists and four turnovers in 21 minutes.

ESPN framed the night as the Lakers beginning life after LeBron James, who left for Philadelphia. That is the outlet's characterization, and it sets the question this game can answer only in part: how the Lakers replace James's production. A 22-point win over a shorthanded opponent is evidence from one night, not a season forecast.

How the lead was built

The Lakers led 34-33 after the first quarter, then took the second 32-19 and the third 36-16. They were ahead by as many as 35 points and led for 84 percent of the game, according to ESPN's game page. Los Angeles shot 57 percent from the field and 39 percent from three, making 11 of 28 from deep, while Golden State shot 41 percent and 22 percent, including 8-of-36 from three. The Lakers made 24 of 27 free throws, and the Warriors made 21 of 27.

Golden State won the fourth quarter 37-25, which is why the final margin is smaller than the game felt. The Warriors' largest lead of the night was three points, and most of their late scoring came with the result already decided. The quarter line helps explain the gap between the 35-point peak and the 22-point final.

The Warriors attempted 92 shots to the Lakers' 81 and still lost by 22. Volume without efficiency is the short explanation for the score.

Doncic's night included a long confrontation with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, the 11th overall pick, who received a technical foul for something he said. Doncic banked in a half-court shot at the halftime buzzer, then pointed at Lendeborg. Lendeborg scored 12 points in his debut, and Brandon Williams added 14 for Golden State.

Doncic's previous competitive game was April 2, according to the recap, so the 30-minute night was also a workload checkpoint. The Lakers and Warriors are scheduled to meet four times in the regular season, which gives the pairing more than one night to settle.

Why the margin needs context

Golden State was without Brandin Podziemski, who has a back issue, and ESPN lists Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis and Moses Moody as out with long-term injuries. The Lakers were missing guard Collin Sexton (calf) and first-round pick Cameron Carr (oblique), and Jake LaRavia left in the fourth quarter after limping.

Those absences help explain a 22-point margin, and they do not change the shooting line. Kessler's 12 attempts all went in against an NBA defense, and the franchise comparison comes from the same recap.

Kessler had not played in a competitive game since last Halloween because of an injury, according to ESPN. He finished his first game as a Laker with more rebounds than any other player on either team, based on the game's leaderboard. ESPN also reports that the Lakers traded a package of draft capital to Utah to fill Doncic's desire for a top center. That context matters for how quickly the pairing can work, though one game cannot show whether the trade solves the position.

The numbers behind the score

Doncic's 28 points came on 7-of-18 shooting and 9-of-9 free throws, with six turnovers. Curry's 23 came on 7-of-15 shooting and 7-of-7 free throws. The Lakers won the rebound battle 43-36 and committed 18 turnovers to Golden State's 16.

Kessler's line stands out because it is rare, and the comparison is a Lakers mark rather than a league one. The line itself is the evidence: 26 points on 12 attempts and nine rebounds in a debut. The opening lob from Doncic and the seven defensive rebounds show how the Lakers used him, though one game cannot settle a rotation.

What the game did not settle

The recap does not give Kessler's minutes, his touches or whether he will start every game. It does not say how the Lakers will manage Doncic's workload after his first competitive game since April 2. It also does not say whether Kessler will close games or share the center spot. For fantasy managers and Lakers followers, those are the practical questions, and one game leaves them open.

The schedule offers a quick next look. The Lakers host the Clippers on Friday, and Golden State hosts Memphis the same night. A second meeting between the Lakers and Warriors comes later in the schedule.

Whether Kessler's role holds is the question Friday can begin to answer.