Lakers Sit Luka Doncic, Seven Others Against Warriors in Preseason The Los Angeles Lakers rested Luka Doncic and seven other players against the Golden State Warriors on the second night of a preseason back-to-back. The Warriors also opened a back-to-back with a game against the Portland Trail Blazers scheduled for Wednesday. The Los Angeles Lakers sat Luka Doncic and seven other players for their preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center, holding them out on the second night of a back-to-back. Doncic was joined on the sideline by Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Collin Sexton and two-way forward Arthur Kaluma. With a significant chunk of their lineup unavailable, the Lakers started Bronny James, Quentin Grimes, Adou Thiero, Jake LaRavia and Sandro Mamukelashvili against the Warriors. The Warriors started Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Draymond Green. Before the game, Doncic shook hands with Curry at Chase Center, a moment captured during the preseason matchup.The absences did not reflect any concern about Doncic, who is clearly in game shape after dropping a game-high 21 points in 16 minutes during the preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings. The Lakers had opened their preseason with a dominant win over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Even without their two stars, JJ Redick's squad crushed the Kings with a masterful defensive performance and strong outside shooting.Lakers Coach JJ Redick Announces Resting StarsLos Angeles coach JJ Redick announced on Tuesday that Doncic, Thybulle, Williams, Sexton, Kaluma, Reaves and Kessler would all sit out against Golden State. With Kessler and Reaves nursing injuries, there is no urgency to get them on the floor, especially since the team does not have to play another preseason game until Thursday, Oct. 8 back at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers will play the Kings again when they host their division rival at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday.It is the second night of a back-to-back set in the preseason, which is unusual and unnecessary, to say the least. The Warriors, meanwhile, were on the first night of a back-to-back, with a matchup against the Trail Blazers scheduled for Wednesday night in Portland. Like the Lakers, the Warriors were also in the midst of three games in four days after playing the Clippers in Hawaii on Sunday in their first preseason game.Doncic Ready For Regular Season After Kings GameThe Lakers' decision to rest Doncic and the other veterans comes after an impressive preseason opener. Against Sacramento, the team showed it could lean on its depth and still perform at a high level on both ends of the floor. The win over the Kings gave Redick a look at his rotation options with several key players unavailable. Doncic's brief but efficient outing against the Kings underscored that he is ready for the regular season.His 21 points in 16 minutes came in a controlled workload, and the team has no reason to push him further in an exhibition game. Reaves and Kessler are dealing with injuries, so caution is the priority for both. Thybulle, Williams, Sexton and Kaluma also remained out against Golden State. Their absence gave more minutes to the Lakers' young core and roster hopefuls, including James, Grimes, Thiero, LaRavia and Mamukelashvili.Those players used the opportunity to compete against a Warriors team that also featured a mix of starters and new faces. Golden State's starting group included Curry, Podziemski, Santos, Lendeborg and Green. The Warriors are managing their own preseason schedule, with three games in four days and a trip to Portland on Wednesday. Both teams are balancing conditioning, evaluation and health ahead of the regular season.The Lakers will return to action Thursday at Crypto.com Arena against the Kings. By then, the team could get some of its sidelined players back, though the priority remains making sure everyone is healthy for the games that count. For now, the Lakers are taking no chances with Doncic and their key veterans.