LOS ANGELES — As Walker Kessler gazed up and down the box score at the podium in the middle of his postgame presser following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 125-117 win over the crosstown Clippers, something caught his attention and stopped him mid-answer.
“Oh geez,” he said, “we had a lot of steals, man. That’s crazy.”
Kessler has been everything the Lakers hoped so far, including anchoring a defense that nabbed 13 steals on Friday, three of those from him. It’s been two games and Kessler has already made
his statistical mark on the storied Los Angeles franchise.
In his debut against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, he became the first Laker since Wilt Chamberlain to shoot 12-for-12 from the field in a game, making it the second-best shooting performance in franchise history. Two days later, he became the eighth Laker to ever record six blocks and three steals in a game, according to Stathead.
Of course, in his rim-protecting nature, he deflected the opportunity to recognize himself among some of the best players to ever play for the Lakers… by turning the compliment on them.
“I mean, it’s definitely an honor,” Kessler said of the stat. “It’s kind of crazy that there have been seven guys who have done it before. But, I know there’s some absolute legends in the Lakers franchise — definitely an honor.”
The presumed-lowly Clippers scored 64 points in the first half, matching the Lakers and holding onto the lead for much of it. There was potential for the game to get completely out of LAL’s hands if it weren’t for Kessler’s floor-raising defensive ability.
The Clippers were getting whatever they wanted in the non-Kessler minutes. Brook Lopez made eight of his first nine shots in the first half, feasting on the heavy-stepped Kevon Looney and undersized Sandro Mamukelashvili.
But out of the locker room, things changed, in part thanks to Kessler.
“That third quarter, I don’t know what his stats ended up being, it just felt like Walker was everywhere in that third,” JJ Redick said postgame. “[He] really was a huge spark for us getting this win. … There were multiple times [in the game] where it felt like they had a layup and he either came over and blocked the shot or created an altered shot.”
A pivotal moment in the third quarter came with 4:30 left and the Lakers up 86-76, amidst a 9-0 run, where Clippers guard Darius Garland drove by Luka Dončić and drew help from Quentin Grimes before dumping it off to Derrick Jones Jr. in the dunker spot. Jones Jr. elevated above Dončić and Grimes, sure he had an easy bucket, only to get his shot swatted off the glass by Kessler.
The Lakers corralled the rebound and Austin Reaves hit an above-the-break 3-pointer over, adding to what was a stellar offensive night, totaling 28 points and nine assists on 10-for-13 shooting.
Kessler was just as dominant on the offensive end, his 22 points on 10-for-14 from the field — yes, he’s capable of missing shots — brings his two-game season total to 48 points on 84.6% shooting. Between the dunks he gets rolling to the basket, rim running in transition or following up a missed shot, the 25-year-old is getting some of the easiest buckets of his like.
And yet, his defense is what is lifting the Lakers in these games.
“He’s a fantastic basketball player,” Redick continued on Kessler, “And I think he’ll continue to get better. That was one of the reasons that we wanted him and he was so appealing to us, it was because of his age and feeling like the fit with our two stars was really good.
“Someone that can continue to grow and become just a fantastic player in the NBA.”
