Welcome back Dub Nation! It’s a brand new year as the Golden State Warriors open their 2026-27 regular season Wednesday night with a nationally-televised matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT in Los Angeles and can be watched on ESPN.
Previously with the Warriors:
The Warriors wrapped up their six-game preseason slate on a high note with last Friday’s 128-118 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The game served as Golden State’s final dress rehearsal before the start of the regular season, with the team’s starters seeing their most extensive playing time of the preseason. Steph Curry led the way once again, finishing with 20 points on 7-of-19 shooting from the field, including three three-pointers, as he shows no signs of slowing down entering his 18th NBA season.
What to watch for tonight:
Unfortunately for the Warriors, they enter the regular season already dealing with injuries to their roster. While Curry appears to be fine after reportedly tweaking his ankle during open practice on Sunday — sending the entire fanbase into a panic in the process — his backcourt mate Brandin Podziemski hasn’t been as fortunate. On Tuesday, it was reported that Podziemski would miss Wednesday’s season opener against the Lakers due to a back injury, a disappointing development considering his strong showing throughout the preseason.
Without Podziemski, Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg will be the player to watch going into this one. The 11th overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft put together one of the more impressive preseasons by a Golden State rookie in recent memory, with his versatility and physicality immediately standing out on both ends of the floor. In five preseason games, Lendeborg averaged 15.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting 56.9% from the field and 43.8% from the three-point line.
While Lendeborg is no stranger to playing in big games, Wednesday presents an entirely different challenge as he makes his NBA debut under the bright lights of Los Angeles. That being said, it should be interesting to see whether he can live up to these lofty preseason expectations once the games officially begin to count.
Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!
Projected Starters
Warriors: Steph Curry, De’Anthony Melton, Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos, Draymond Green
Lakers: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia, Walker Kessler
How to watch Regular Season Game 1
Who: Golden State Warriors (0 – 0) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (0 – 0)
When: Wednesday, October 21st, at 7:00 p.m. PT
Where: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
TV and Streaming: ESPN
