Luke Walton enjoys seeing former mentor Steve Kerr get fired up

Kerr will be around, even if his back won't allow him to be on the bench all series. Mike Brown is trying to beat the franchise that fired him not once but twice. Tyronn Lue has James' respect, which is the single biggest requirement for any Cavaliers coach. Lue is vying to join Minneapolis Lakers coach John Kundla as the only coaches to win titles in their first two seasons as coach. Kundla did so in 1949 and 1950.

Nov. 4, 2016 9:05 PM PT

Thursday night when the Golden State Warriors played the Oklahoma City Thunder, Warriors Coach Steve Kerr became enraged during the first quarter when officials didn’t call what he thought should’ve been a foul. Warriors assistant Mike Brown wrapped his arms around Kerr to keep him from getting ejected.

Lakers Coach Luke Walton watched that all unfold the night before his team faced the Warriors.

“I complimented him on his fire last night in the game when he chased down one of the referees,” Walton said. “I told him it made me smile to see that happen. … I told Mike Brown that he should’ve let Steve go.”

Walton was one of Kerr’s assistants for the past two seasons. During that time there was an instance when Kerr lost it on the bench, but Walton didn’t try very hard to stop him.

“I like when Steve gets fired up like that, so I didn’t really — it was kind of like fake hustle you know?” he said.

The two talk constantly, and that didn’t change in the day leading up to their first regular season meeting.

Neither did Walton’s conversations with his former players. Warriors forward Draymond Green had a special message for Walton.

“It was along the lines of, he couldn’t get his pregame nap in because he was so excited, amped, for what he said he was going to do to us,” Walton said.

Mozgov is back in lineup

Lakers center Timofey Mozgov returned to the Lakers starting lineup after missing a game and a half with a left eye contusion.

Mozgov was initially listed as doubtful for the game, but felt better on Friday. Mozgov participated in shoot-around, then saw a doctor who cleared him.

Mozgov initially suffered the injury on Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers. He suffered two injuries to his face in that game — a laceration in his mouth and the left eye contusion. The laceration temporarily removed Mozgov from the game, but he returned shortly thereafter. Mozgov was poked in the eye upon his return to the game.

The Lakers were concerned about an orbital fracture, but tests showed Mozgov did not have one.

Ingram appreciates Durant’s gesture

Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram didn’t expect Warriors forward Kevin Durant to reach out to him when he left college earlier this year, but Ingram appreciated the move.

“I think overall he saw that I was a fan of him,” said Ingram, who’s tall, thin frame bears a resemblance to Durant’s when the perennial All-Star entered the NBA. “[While on] the USA select team I was talking with him a little bit. Just trying to pick his brain about how he could affect the game and how I could affect the game the way he does. We just went from there.”

Durant isn’t the only player who’s reached out to Ingram. Walton said he’s also had a conversation with the Warriors’ Andre Iguodala. Walton has used Iguodala’s lengthy career as an example for Ingram.

“In this league, a lot of vets, they just want to pass it on and just want to see the next player be good,” Ingram said.

tania.ganguli@latimes.com