What happened: Law Murray reported that Walker Kessler is dealing with foul trouble during Sunday's matchup. One of the fouls was assessed after an unsuccessful Lakers challenge on an out-of-bounds call.

Why it matters: Early whistles restrict the interior rim protection of the center who threw down 10 dunks earlier this week, forcing Los Angeles to lean on backup frontcourt options. The Lakers entered the night at 2-0 looking to protect their unbeaten start to the 2026-27 regular season.

What to watch: Los Angeles will have to manage Kessler's second-half minutes around his foul count to keep him available for crunch time.